The Way I Love You
by Draco's-Slytherin-Princess438
Summary: Summary is with the first chapter. Please, read it! DMOC
1. Unexplainable Feelings

**Summary: During his Sixth Year in Hogwarts, Draco Malfoy has become bore with his life. He's sick of the normal routine, his family controlling his life, and the same shallow girlfriend. Just when it seems like there is no escape, a new girl comes unexpectantly into his life by the name of Alana Kaligaris. At first glance she seems shy and normal, but is there more to Alana than meets the eye? And will she show Draco what being loved really feels like and that there is always hope no matter how bleak the situation?**

The Way I Love You

Chapter 1

Unexplainable Feelings

_If you were mine _

_I would celebrate_

_Like everyday was Christmas_

_If you were mine_

_I'd love ya like it's_

_Nobody's business_

_I would give you everything I had_

_I would treat you right_

_I would make you laugh_

_Baby, I would smile forever_

_If you were mine_-"If You Were Mine"

Cyndi Thomson

" I'm bored."

Draco peered over the top of his _Daily Prophet_ at Jezebel. She had her head in her hands; a dull expression had taken over her face. Her breakfast had barely been touched. He raised a blonde eyebrow, shrugged, and went back to reading his paper.

" What do you want me to do about it, Sinclaire?" He asked, deadpanly.

" Hex someone. That's always amusing for awhile." Jezebel suggested. " Anything is better than having to sit here and watch you read that load of garbage."

" You know, I would, but I have a problem hexing someone infront of all those teachers up at the Staff table. I don't want another detention, thank you very much. I still haven't gotten over the last one that you earned me." Draco drawled. " Besides, if you don't shut that annoy hole you call a mouth, you'll be the next person I hex."

Jezebel rolled her eyes and ignored his last comment. She started to twirl a strand of her thick, wavy, black hair with her index finger. Her eyes wandered around the hall aimlessly. At that moment, Jezebel spotted two girls of interest walk into the Great Hall. A smile came across her face; all traces of boredom gone completely. She stood up and whistled at the girls, who turned their heads her direction, and Jezebel beckened them over. They walked over quickly as she sat back down.

" Finally, now I have someone besides Malfoy here to talk to." She said, faking a relieved look.

" Well, he can't be very good company. That I've learned from experience." Ginny Weasley said, looking darkly at Draco.

He made to shoot a glare at her, but that's when he saw the other girl next to her. She was relatively new this year. The girl had been a transfer from some school in Greece. Draco wiped his face clean of all emotion as he looked at her. Her name was Alana Kaligaris. Sure she was nothing special; not particularly drop-dead gorgeous, but there was just something about her that made Draco want to stare. She held a few books in her hands and had them pulled up tight against her chest. Alana's Ravenclaw robes were neat and tidy; nothing out of place.

She looked down at Jezebel through her reading spectacles, which were situated near the tip of her nose. He could still see her amazingly alluring, sapphire blue eyes. They held knowledge and wisdom beyond her years, making her look even more like a Ravenclaw. The spectacles drew away from their beauty when she had them on, though. Her brown hair was up in the same, neat and tight bun she always had it styled in. Draco had never seen her with her hair down or with her spectacles off. Alana was particularly quiet, but seemed a little sociable around her friends. Jezebel pulled Ginny to sit down infront of her as she straddled the bench and started to braid her long, fiery red hair. Alana sat down across from Draco, opened a book, and started to read. The thing he liked about her was that she didn't gossip as much as the other girls that Jezebel hung out with did.

" So, what has you so bored that your willing to talk to a Gryffindor and a Ravenclaw." Ginny asked, examining her nails.

" There is nothing to do; nothing to discuss." Jezebel complained, continuing her task of braiding Ginny's hair.

" Well, that's a complete shock. You always find something meaningless to gossip about, Sinclaire." Draco said, snidely.

" Oh, go torture a First year." Ginny snapped, irritably.

Alana merely raised an eyebrow, but didn't look up from her book. Draco put down his paper and glared at Ginny harshly.

" Well, I see I won't be able to catch up on any news. I usually just rely on your two to give me the lastest gossip anyway." He said.

" We aren't that bad." Jezebel argued. " Are we Alana?"

" Oh, no you don't. You're not getting me mixed up in this." Alana replied with her slight Greek ascent, looking up from her book and shooting Jezebel a warning look.

" Alana, please put the book down. I swear, you're worse than Hermione." Ginny complained.

Alana just glared at her and went back to reading. It was some book written in Egyptian. It had taken her a long time to learn how to interpret the hieroglyphics.

" I still don't understand why you wear those rediculous spectacles. They aren't helping you any. I bet you can see just fine." Jezebel said, looking at her friend suspiciously.

" They do too help! I need them to read." Alana argued, blushing slightly.

Draco just watched the scene unfold infront of him, knowing that things were going to get interesting. Then, just as he predicted, Jezebel stopped braiding Ginny's hair and snatched Alana's spectacles off of her.

" Hey! Give them back!" Alana shouted, groping for her spectacles as Ginny held her back.

Jezebel put them on and looked around. Her black eyebrows scrunched up for a second before taking them off. She examined them before looking up at Alana.

" These don't even have prescriptions in them." Jezebel said with a laugh, twirling them around in between her fingers.

" Please, just give them back. I just wear them to make me look smarter." Alana confessed, pushing Ginny off of the bench and out of the way.

" Dear, how smart do you need to be? You're already giving Granger a run for her money. I think you're smart enough as it is." Jezebel pointed out. " Besides, now we can all see those gorgeous eyes of yours."

Jezebel held them over her head as Alana tried to reach for them. Draco watched them with his eyebrows raised in amusement. Alana got to her feet to grab her spectacles, but then, Jezebel tossed them into the air, and they landed in Draco's lap. The Ravenclaw directed her sapphire eyes towards him as he looked down and picked the spectacles up. She held out her hand and glared at him, her eyes gleaming dangerously.

" Give them here, Malfoy. I've had enough games, so just give them back." She said in a threatening tone.

Not wanting to provoke her any further, Draco dropped them on the table as if they were on fire and held up his hands defensively. Alana snatched the spectacles up, put them back on, and gathered up her books. He watched with a smirk as she glared defiantly at Jezebel and Ginny.

" As fun as getting my personal style made fun of is, I must be going. I have a Transfigurations lesson to get to and I'd rather not be late." She said, irritably.

With that said, she stormed off. Ginny got up and ran after her.

" Alana! Alana, we're sorry!" Jezebel called from her seat." Please, come back!"

Alana just kept walking and stuck her head higher up in the air. Draco smirked at her and laughed. Jezebel turned her attention towards him and glared.

" Oh, what are you laughing at, Malfoy?!" She snapped, obviously peeved with him and herself.

" That's just great, Sinclaire. Piss off one of your friends. And you just had to go for the Granger clone, too. She'll probably be mentally hexing you all day." Draco commented, his laughing dying down a little.

" Well, at least I have friends to hang out with." Jezebel said, resting her head in her palms again, continuing to glare at him. " Anyways, she's not a Granger clone. She's smarter and more fun than Hermione Granger could ever hope to be."

" Hey! That hurt!" Draco replied as he mockingly put a hand to his heart and pretended to be offended. " Besides, I have friends."

" Yeah, and a whole bunch of them, too." She said, sarcastically. " Let's see there's Blaise, those two goons of yours: Crabbe and Goyle, myself, and you slutty girlfriend Pansy. That makes a grand total of five. Wow, you're so loved."

Draco just rolled his eyes and picked his paper back up. He didn't really care how many friends he had. Anyways, he preferred being alone most of the time. But, sometimes Pansy made that hard for him. She always seemed to be stalking him and clinging to him everywhere he went. Jezebel quickly downed the rest of her pumpkin juice and grabbed her tattered, black, school bag. As she was standing up, she said, " Are you walking to Transfigurations with me or what?"

Draco folded his paper up with an irritated groan, stuck it in one of his books before picking them up, and standing up as well. He walked out of the Great Hall with Jezebel, meeting Blaise on the way.

" So, how was breakfast?" Blaise asked with a smirk.

" You saw that, didn't you?" Draco asked, even though he already knew the answer.

" Of course I did. You had almost one girl from every house near you. That tends to draw attention towards you. I must say, I didn't know that new Ravenclaw could glare like that. Kaligaris never seemed like the quick-tempered type. She doesn't look too bad with those rediculous spectacles off either." Blaise explained, earning a smirk from Draco.

" Watch it. That's my friend you're talking about, Blaise. If you wanted to ask her out, why didn't you just tell me. I could always set Alana up with you." Jezebel butted in.

" No way! I'm sorry, but Ravenclaws aren't my type, especially the bookworm ones." Blaise objected.

" That's just one side of Alana. She can be a totally different person underneith that spectacles-wearing, bun-headed, nose-in-a-book girl that you've seen, trust me." She argued.

" Sure, Jezebel. Just keep telling yourself that. From what I saw, she seemed to like herself just the way she is and wasn't in a hurry to change." Draco commented as they entered the Transfigurations room.

" Speaking of Alana..." Jezebel trailed off, going over to see her friend.

Draco found the girl immediately. She was sitting down at a desk by herself near the front, deeply absorbed in the same book she had been reading earlier. Her back was completely straight in the chair, making Draco wonder how she could be comfortable sitting like that.

" Draco man, are you going to sit down or what?" Blaise asked from his seat.

" Uh yeah, sorry. I was just thinking about something." Draco said, taking his seat hurriedly before he embarrassed himself even more.

More people started to come into the room and sit down in their seats. Draco talked to Blaise, while waiting for McGonagall to get there; his eyes occationally drifting over to Alana. Then, as he was watching her continue to read her book, Draco felt a cold, bony hand on his shoulder. He looked at the pale as death hand; it's brightly-colored, long, red nails standing out dramatically. When he looked up, Draco instantly regretted it. Pansy stood there next to him, smiling down at him in her slutty, seductive way. Her flashing green eyes surveyed him as a cat would eyes its prey. A few of the thin, stringy, black strands of her hair had already escaped the rather messy ponytail she had it in.

" Hello, Drakie poo. Did you miss me?" Pansy asked, stroking the side of his face more with her nails than her hand.

" How on Earth can anyone miss you, Pansy? That's what I'd like to know." Draco replied, coldly.

Pansy's smile never faultered, but her eyes gleamed dangerously. She pinched Draco's cheek hard, just to show him that she wasn't pleased with his answer. Her hand trailed down his chest as she walked past him.

" Missed ya too, babe." She said in that annoying, high-pitched voice of hers as she made her way to sit next to Millicent Bullstrode.

Draco shook his head in annoyance and turned to Blaise.

" Why am I going out with her again?" He asked.

" Because she was easy and a good shag." Blaise answered, starting to flip through one of his books. " That and you're parcially insane."

Draco frowned and replied, " Watch it, Zabini, or else you could find yourself with my wand up your..."

" Good morning, class." McGonagall said, striding into the room swiftly.

Draco uttered a barely audible groan before lowering his head onto his books and crossing his arms infront of himself as McGonagall started to write down notes on the board.

" Well, onto another boring lesson." He mumbled to himself.

**A/N: Well I hope you liked the first chapter. Sorry, but the story starts off pretty slow. I promise that it will get better with each new chapter. I'll try to get the next chapter up tomorrow. **


	2. Jezebel's New Plan

**A/N: Hello again. Well, for a disclaimer, I don't own Happy Potter. I only own Alana and a couple of her friends, along with her family. Most of my story follows the books, except I've made just a few changes that you'll see later. Well, red and enjoy.**

Chapter 2

Jezebel's New Plan

_Oh, I'm gonna muster every_

_Ounce of confidence I have_

_Cannon ball into the water_

_Gonna muster every ounce_

_Of confidence I have_

_For you I will_

_For you I will_-

"For You I Will(Confidense)"

Teddy Geiger

The next day, Jezebel came waltzing up to the table in a particularly good mood. She sat down across from Draco and smiled happily. He looked up from his breakfast at her and raised an eyebrow before going back to his food.

" What has you so perky today, little Miss Sunshine?" He asked, indifferently.

" Things are definitely going to get more interesting around here, thanks to my genius planning." Jezebel informed him, grabbing stuff to put on her plate.

" I would hardly call your planning "genius", but I'll let you continue to live in your little, fantasy land." He replied with a smirk.

" Think what you will, Malfoy, but trust me. This plan is a pure gold opportunity to have some fun around this place." She assured him.

" When you mean a pure gold opportunity, you mean an opportunity to get me into trouble. Am I correct?" He sighed.

" Must you always degrade my plans? Can't you just listen to me for once and trust me?" Jezebel complained in a whining tone.

" I'll listen, but I won't trust you." Draco answered.

" Fine, if that's the best I can get. Well, you see, Ginny told me about the room that Potter and his friends had used for Defence Against the Dark Arts last year when Umbridge was the teacher. It's called the Room of Requirement. So, I had her take me there last night and show it to me. Well, that's when my brilliant mind started to concoct this wonderful plan. We have a party with only Fifth and Sixth years once every two weeks. The room already will furnish us with everything that we need. All we have to do is bring in and dismiss each year depending on house separately that way the teachers won't wonder where they all disappear to. Well, what do you think?" She explained.

Draco merely raised an eyebrow and shrugged.

" It's okay, just as long as I don't get blamed if we get discovered." He said, indifferently.

" Fine. I have Ginny for that anyway, seeing as she is the one who showed me where it was." Jezebel replied.

" Great, now, when is the first party?" He asked, turning his attention back to his meal.

" Tomorrow night. It's a Saturday, so everyone will have all day to prepare and if anyone gets drunk, they can have the hangover on Sunday." She explained.

" Tomorrow!" He asked, almost spraying pumpkin juice on her. " A bit last notice isn't it?"

" Oh, it will be fine. Besides, when you go to the party, you'll finally be able to really talk with Alana." Jezebel said with a knowing smirk.

Draco stopped eating immediately when he heard that name. He looked up at Jezebel with confused eyes, but his heart gave a funny leap.

" Kaligaris? What does she have to do with this?" He asked, pretending to hide his emotions.

" Oh, don't you try to act as if you think I'm an idiot, Malfoy. I've noticed the way you look at Alana. It looks like you've been checking her out. I wouldn't mind you going out with her for that matter. Anyone's better than that bloody Parkinson girl. I still don't understand why you're going out with her." Jezebel replied, looking at him with her coniving, dark brown, almost black, eyes.

" _Sometimes I wonder that myself_." He thought.

" I still don't know what you're talking about, Sinclaire. She's just interesting looking. Kaligaris is nothing special." He drawled, trying to make excuses.

" Not when she's dressed for class, but Alana isn't bad looking when she lets her hair down and takes those rediculous glasses of hers off. Trust me, you'll think differently after you see her." She told him.

" I don't fancy her, Sinclaire, so stop implying it." Draco warned, giving her a cold look with his grey eyes.

" Fine! I won't say another word about her, except just wait until tomorrow. Then, we'll see if that changes your mind." Jezebel said, before gathering up her books and leaving.

By lunch, all of the Fifth and Sixth years knew of the party. The teachers at the Staff table looked a little suspicious of the sudden escalation of their gossip, but chose to ignore it. By the next day, everyone was anxious for the party. Alana had her group of friends in her room, which turned out to be the Prefect dorm. The old Ravenclaw girl Prefect had moved away, and since Alana had the best grades in the school at the moment, she had been appointed the new Ravenclaw Prefect. She liked having her own room. Her friends insisted on being there when she picked out what she was going to wear to the party since they were already making her go. She knew that, also, meant that they were going to pick out her outfit, too.

" Come on, Alana. Your clothes need to make a statement." Ginny said, rummaging through her closet.

" As long as that statement isn't " Hey! Everyone look at me! I'm a whore!", I'll be fine." Alana replied, not raising her eyes from her book.

" That's not the statement we want you to make." Hannah (a Fifth year Hufflepuff) said. " We want it to be " I'm sexy, but I'm too innocently oblivious to the fact". That's what the boys are after these days."

" Great, just absolutely fabulous! You guys are trying to set me up with a few boys, aren't you?" Alana complained.

" A boyfriend would do you some good." Jezebel said, walking over to her and taking the book out of her hands. " Now, put the book aside and join the big girls."

Jezebel threw the book onto Alana's desk, but making sure as to not smash her spectacles. She joined Ginny and looked through her clothes.

" You know, Alana, I've never seen you wear half of these clothes before. Most of them would look gorgeous on you." Ginny said, examining a black, corset top.

" Most of them my sister, Mia, picked out for me." She answered as Jezebel picked out a two inch single-strap, magenta top with transparent material across the neckline and then, coming to hang over the single strap to about the waist.

She threw it at Alana and gestured for her to put it on. Alana looked at her pleadingly, but Jezebel just gave her the puppy dog face. Jezebel knew that no one, not even someone as stubburn as Alana, could resist that face.

" Okay, okay! I'll wear the stupid bloody top! Just quit it with the face!" Alana caved in. " It's pitiful."

Jezebel looked satisfied as Alana pealed off her midnight blue, turtleneck, sweater and slipped the top on. After it was situated right, and she had the material over her right shoulder, Alana walked over to her mirror and looked at it critically. It made her chest look bigger than she would have liked it to, and the neckline was too low for her taste. Hannah came up behind her and squealed in delight.

" Oh, you look so good in that, Alana! I wish you'd wear it more often!" She exclaimed, grasping her shoulders.

" It will look much better with these than those sweat pants." Ginny said, throwing Alana a pair of black gouchos.

Alana caught them with her excellent reflexes. Her and her sister used to play Quidditch back in Greece, but she didn't even bother to try out for the Hogwarts team. Besides, her favorite position as Seeker was already taken. She slipped out of her comfy sweat pants and threw them onto her bed, where the turtleneck now lay, before slipping the gouchos on. After tying the black sash on her right hip, Alana spun around to make sure that they didn't make her butt look too big. She sighed as her other friend, a Sixth year Ravenclaw named Cleo, ushered her over to her vanity. Cleo was the best at styling hair. She had taught Alana how to make an even more secure bun that would stay up a lot longer than her usual ones.

" Now, what to do with your hair..." Cleo said as she took the pins from the bun out.

After taking the elastic out of her hair, Cleo fluffed Alana's thick, wavy hair a bit.

" Like that! Leave it like that!" Ginny shouted, rushing over.

" Ya, it looks good with the outfit." Jezebel agreed, looking at Alan's reflection.

" Guys, can't we put my hair up even just a tad. I can't stand it down like this." Alana objected, turning around to look at them. " Besides, it looks awful."

" No way. We hardly ever see you with your hair down. Come on, Alana. You look so beautiful." Hannah pleaded with her innocent voice that was one of the obvious reasons why she was in Hufflepuff.

Alana turned back around and looked at her reflection. She had to admit, she looked pretty good. Though, she made them believe it wasn't, her pride and joy was her hair. Alana took good care of it, which was why it was always so healthy. Unlike Hermione's hair, hers wasn't frizzy. It lay in soft, silky waves down her back. The only thing that Cleo did to her hair was spray it with hair spray and pin her left side bangs back with a fake, magenta rose. Hannah picked out a silver, heart necklace with pink rhinestones studded along the edges for Ali to wear along with a pair of long, silver, dangly earrings made up of four hearts just like the one on Alana's necklace.

Then, Ginny came over and started to do her make-up. She put two layers of rose pink eyeshadow on her eyelids, followed by a light application of black eyeliner. After putting some black mascara on eye eyelashes, Ginny put a little bit of pink blush on her cheeks, which was a tad hard because of her tan complection. Lastly, she put on a thick application of magenta lip gloss that made Alana's lips fuller and more kissable-looking.

Alana stood up and spun around slowly for her friends. They clapped and whooped for her, making her cheeks flush rose. Jezebel ran to her closet again and picked out a pair of silver, wedge-heeled sandals with a sparkly, pink heart in the middle of them. The middle of the heart was cut out to show some of Alana's skin. She put them on and walked around the room with only the tiniest difficulty, but soon, she was walking around gracefully in them.

" Now, let's go and show everyone how beautiful you look. I'm possitive that you'll have boys fawning over you all night." Jezebel said, taking Alana by the shoulders and ushering her towards the door.

" Jez, sometimes I wonder why you're my friend in the first place. You never do anything that I say." Alana said with a sigh.

" It's because sometimes I know what's best for you, even when you don't." She answered with a twisted smile.

The girls walked out of the room and down the stairs from the Ravenclaw girls' dormitories. They walked out of the Common Room together and made their way up to the Seventh floor to the Room of Requirement. When they came to the door, Jezebel knocked once, then paused, and knocked twice quickly. The door opened, and some Sixth year boy smiled down at them.

" Aw, the hostess and her friends have arrived. It's about time, too." He said with a smirk; clearly a Slytherin.

" Just let us in, Smith, or else I'll find someone else to mind the door." Jezebel said, matching the smirk.

The Slytherin let them in, but not before giving Alana a once over.

" Oy, Sinclaire, who's she? I've never seen her before!" The boy yelled over the music, giving Alana _the_ look.

" None of your business, Smith! Just mind the door until your shift is over!" She answered, ushering Alana into the crowd. " See, you got the first boy you met to notice you! I told you this was a good look for you!"

" _What have I gotten myself into_?" Alana asked herself.

**I hope you enjoyed this other chapter. Well, review please, but no flames. I don't care if you think Alana is a Mary Sue; don't tell me because I won't change her character. I like her just the way she is. Don't give me any suggestions on how you think the story should go. I'm nearly done with the story anyway. I've been working on it for a long time, but my internet hasn't been up for me to post the story. I'll try to update as frequently as possible.**


	3. Sparks at First Sight

**Disclaimer: I really detest having doing these, but I think it's the right thing to do. Sadly I do not own Harry Potter. I wish I did. I could use that kind of profit. All Well, at least I can pretend to on this website. Now, onto the the feature presentation! Ta Da!**

Chapter 3

Sparks at First Sight

_What if I told you_

_It was all meant to be_

_Would you believe me_

_Would you for real_

_It's almost that feelin'_

_We met before_

_So, tell me that you _

_Don't think I'm crazy_

_When I tell you love_

_Has come here and now..._

_A moment like this_

_Some people wait a lifetime_

_For a moment like this_

_Some people search forever_

_For that one special kiss_

_Oh, I can't believe it's happenin' to me_

_Some people wait a lifetime_

_For a moment like this_-

"A Moment Like This"

Kelly Clarkson

Draco stood off in a little more secluded spot with Blaise, sipping some kind of alcoholic drink he had managed to find. The supply never ran short, so that was the only upside to this already boring party. Nothing interesting had happened yet. Many of the students were dancing to a Weird Sisters' song. He hadn't seen Jezebel or this newly improved Alana that she had promised to bring with her. Not that he was waiting to see Alana! He had told himself that all of yesterday and all day today. But, a part of him kept arguing that he needed to give her a chance. It was just a small part, though.

" Where is Sinclaire?" Blaise yelled. " She's the hostess! She should be here!"

" Who knows!" Draco answered, throwing back the rest of his drink. " I'm going to get more! Do you want something?"

" No, and be careful how many of those you have! I'm not going to help you back tonight if you get drunk!" Blaise replied with a smirk.

" Aw, come on! You know I can hold my liquor!" He shouted back, throwing his hands up in the air to exaggerate his point.

As he made his way to the refreshment table, Draco spotted Jezebel making her way towards the Golden Trio. She was pulling a girl that he didn't reconize, but Damn! was she hot! All of the pink she wore made her sapphire eyes stand out like no tomorrow. Her hair was just perfect, too.

" _Wait a minute! Only one of Jezebel's friends has sapphire eyes. No, it can't be...Alana?_" He thought.

Draco glanced at his empty cup, shrugged, and kept going towards the refreshment table.

" _Maybe Blaise is right. I shouldn't have too much alcohol tonight._" He said to himself as he poured himself another drink. " _I'm already seeing things that aren't there._"

Jezebel walked up to Harry, Ron, and Hermione with Alana and Ginny in tow. Ginny ran past her and flung her arms around Harry, who laughed and caught her easily. He kissed her briefly before putting his arms around her waist and holding her close. Alana sighed. She had always wanted a boyfriend like that. One that would hold her in his arms and treat her with respect.

" Hi, guys! What's going on?" Jezebel asked over the music.

" Not much! Hey! Is that Alana Kaligaris?" Hermione asked, looking at Alana in shock.

" Nice to see you, too, Mione!" Alana yelled, happy that it was dimly lit in there so they couldn't see the blush creeping up on her cheeks.

" Oh my God, you look fantastic!" She shrieked, pulling Alana into an embrace.

She giggled into Hermione's hair. She had always liked the Gryffindor bookworm. Many people said that they were so much a like, except that Alana wasn't as opinionated as Hermione and tended to be a little more quiet. Once Alana managed to escape from Hermione's arms, Cleo came up to her and thrusted a drink into her hand. It looked and smelled like Vodka, and she gave her a weird look.

" Cleo, you know that I don't drink Vodka!" Alana shouted.

" Just try it!" She urged her. " Besides, it's not that bad! It's been mixed with tonic water and lime!"

Alana took a tiny sip, and her eyes began to burn from the strength. She'd had alcohol before, being Greek, and was more of a Shiraz person. But after a few more sips, it wasn't as bad. She felt a little more relaxed and started to talk easier. After staying with the Golden Trio awhile longer, Jezebel whisked her away again. Alana knew that she was on the prawl and would be that way all night, introducing her to different people to help her social life.

" Come on! We have to find Malfoy and Zabini! They should be looking for us!" She explained as they made their way through the crowd.

" Why are they looking for us?" Alana asked, curiously.

" That's for me to know, and you to find out!" Jezebel answered as she spotted the two boys.

At the moment, Draco was trying to shake Pansy off of him. She looked even sluttier than ever in a black, leather, corset top and a short, black, mini skirt with black fishnet tights underneith. Jezebel turned to Alana, and they both exchanged an amused look. When they got closer, Draco had just managed to push Pansy off of him.

" Hey, Malfoy! Did you miss me?" Jezebel asked with a smirk.

" No, not really, but at least the party will get a little more interesting now!" He replied, matching it perfectly.

" You remember my friend, Alana, don't you?" She asked, pulling Alana up beside her.

Draco looked down at Alana with an emotionless face, but his eyes were barely suppressing his shock and surprise. His heart gave that funny leap again. It _was_ her! Alana looked up at him with those intense eyes of hers, and they bore into his. They both instantly felt a spark deep inside of them, but didn't understand it. Pansy wrapped her arm around Draco's and looked down her nose at the Ravenclaw Prefect.

" Why would she interest, my Drakie?" Pansy asked, snootily. " Not trying to get him to dump me, are you, Sinclaire?"

" Not at all, Parkinson! I would never dream of it!" Jezebel lied, through her teeth.

Jezebel wanted Draco to leave Pansy, but she wasn't really trying to get him and Alana together. She had just thought it would be funny to prove him wrong about her, and it had been well worth it to see the look in his eyes when he first looked at Alana. Then, Jezebel felt Alana tense up in her grip. She pulled her wrist out of her hands and looked at Pansy; her eyes flashing with a look Jezebel had only seen Alana give people when she was severely annoyed. A smile twisted on her lips as if she knew a special secret that everyone else did not.

" If you're implying that I'd steal your little boyfriend, then you're sadly mistaken, Miss Parkinson! Just get that through that abnormally thick head of yours, okay?" Alana said, irritation evident in her tone.

Pansy lifted her eyebrows in amusement and stepped towards her. She sized her up arrogantly, putting her hands on her hips. Her eyes narrowed slightly, but didn't show that her anger was raging inside.

" Is Lil Miss Perfect challenging me?" Pansy asked with a smirk.

" No, I'm just saying to watch what you say, Princess!" She retorted, she said the last word mockingly before turning her back to her to walk away.

Pansy's face turned dark, and she went for her wand, but Alana turned around and pointed hers at her throat. The other fours' eyes widened at the normally peaceful and mousy girl. Draco smirked without realizing it. She had a quick temper that was for sure.

" Don't even think about it! I know spells that you probably haven't even seen in your wildest dreams!" Alana threatened through her teeth.

She lowered her wand slowly, obviously pleased with herself, and walked away swiftly. Pansy subconsciously put a hand to her throat; her eyes still impossibly wide. Jezebel smirked after her friend before turning back to Draco. She gave him an I-told-you-so look before saying, " Excuse me!"

She rushed off after Alana, who was at the refreshment table drinking a glass of water. Draco watched her, still unable to believe what had just occured there.

" Well, that little wretch better watch it around me from now on!" Pansy ranted, before facing Draco angrily. " Why didn't you do anything? You're supposed to protect me"

" Why? You had things under control, Pansy! A big girl like you should be able to take care of herself!" Draco drawled, boredly.

" Hmph!" Pansy huffed as she stalked away.

" Well..." Blaise commented at last. " that was quite...interesting!"

Draco just kept smirking as he looked at Alana. Jezebel put a hand on Alana's shoulder as she downed her fourth glass of water.

" Whoa! Slow down, Miss Kickass! What has gotten into you? That was amazing!" Jezebel yelled.

" I'm never drinking Vodka, again!" Alana answered, pouring herself a fifth glass.

" Why not? It makes you the woman you were born to be!" Jezebel replied.

" Whatever!" Alana said after downing that glass too, before filling her cup with Shiraz that she had managed to find. " I'm sticking to wine from now on, if you don't mind!"

" Heh heh, you keep surprising me everyday!" Jezebel said, putting an arm around her shoulder as they walked off together. " I think you gave Malfoy quite a shocker, too! Did you see his face? It was priceless!"

" Jez, you aren't really trying to set me up with Malfoy, are you?!" Alana asked, looking at her.

Jezebel turned to Alana, shocked by the sincerity and straight-forwardness of her question. She looked into the Grecian girl's sapphire eyes and smiled before she led her around the room.

" Unless you want me to, no! I was only trying to shock Malfoy at how wrong he and Zabini were about you, Alana! I think I'll leave you to the job of stealing Malfoy's ice cold heart!" Jezebel explained with a smirk.

" Ha, me and Malfoy! That's a weird picture! We're so totally different!" Alana laughed.

" _Not as different as you think._" Jezebel thought while looking at Alana's face.

After another hour or so of chit-chat, Jezebel went off to dance with Blaise, leaving Alana alone. She just stood up against the very back wall, watching her friend have fun, while she finished off her Shiraz. The songs had gotten a little less noisy by now, and she was happy about that. Now, she could avoid another pounding headache besides Jezebel. Her thoughts had absorbed her by the time Draco came up to her with two drinks in his hand. He cleared his throat loudly to get her attention after she didn't notice him for the first thirty seconds. Alana turned her head and looked a little shocked to see him.

" I saw that you ran out, so I'd thought that I'd be a gentleman and bring you another." Draco explained, handing the glass to her.

Alana smiled at the gesture and threw her empty cup into a nearby trash bin. Draco stood next to her and leaned up against the wall casually. As she watched the dancing, Alana took a sip of her wine and almost spat it out. Shiraz! How had he known? Draco saw her give the cup a weird look, and the corners of his mouth lifted upwards slightly.

" You looked like a Shiraz person." Draco explained, looking forwards again.

She looked at him in confusion before doing the same as him. Alana sipped her Shiraz and calmed down again. The air was a little tense around them, but neither seemed to care. They were just enjoying each other's company, even though they'd never admit it.

" So, where did the Princess go? I would have thought that she'd be trailing after you like a little, lost puppy." Alana asked.

Draco chuckled and took a sip of his drink before answering.

" Well, a few minutes after your "chat" with her, Pansy left. She said that the company of this party wasn't up to her high standards. In other words, she couldn't find anymore girls to pamper her or boys to flirt with." He explained. " Good ridense, too. Now, I won't have to deal with her. I should be thanking you, Kaligaris."

" You don't like her?" Alana asked in surprise.

Draco looked down at her and shook his head with a smirk.

" Naww. Truthfuly, I can't stand Pansy. I'm only with her because I don't have the time or energy to find another girlfriend." He replied, simply.

" I don't get it when people do that. How can you be with someone that you can't stand?" Alana said, more to herself than him, looking out at the people again. " I'd think that you'd want to be with someone who makes you happy. All well, what do I know? I'm just a shy, mousy girl, who has her nose stuck in a book most of the time. I'm not the most social girl around, so you best not listen to my theories on relationships."

Draco looked down at her. She had intrigued him with what she had just said. Alana did have a point, though. Why do people stay with people that they can't stand? He took a sip of his drink again before tearing his gaze away from her.

" One thing you'll learn to understand about me, Kaligaris, is that I'm not a happy person. I haven't been happy in years. It's something you get used to." Draco explained, solemnly.

She just shrugged her shoulders and murmered, " To each his own."

Alana finished her glass and threw it away like she had with the other. Draco did the same just as a slow song came on. Alana smiled at all of the couples dancing together. A few of her friends were out there, wrapped in the arms of some boy or their boyfriends. She loved this song; _What's Left of Me_ by the muggle singer Nick Lachey. Gray eyes looked down at her curiously. He could see the longing in her eyes to be out there. A strange feeling arose in his gut, and a force pulled him to her.

" Do you want to dance?" He asked, sincerely.

Alana turned to him, confusion and shock blended together in her eyes. He smiled the smallest one he could muster before offering her his hand. She looked at it uncertainly at first before gently grasping it. A shock of warmth ran through them both when their skin made contact. Draco led her out onto the dance floor and wrapped his arms around her waist. Alana shakily draped her arms around the nape of his neck. They started to sway slowly to the music. He felt how tense her body was, signalling that she hadn't done this often, but she was so graceful. She didn't once step on his feet, which would have hurt with her shoes.

" Relax. It's just a dance." He whispered in her ear, comfortingly.

Alana looked into his eyes and smiled. No signs of his usual, Slytherin smirk or piercingly cold eyes appeared at all. They never broke eye contact; sapphire eyes staring into stormy gray. She relaxed a little as he pulled her closer. Alana felt so wonderful in his arms. She fit just perfectly with the contures of his body, like the missing piece of a puzzle. After awhile, Alana laid her head on his chest, to which he didn't object and just laid his on top of hers. His fingers started to play with a few strands of her hair. A content smile appeared on both of their faces as their eyes closed.

It seemed as if they were the only people in the room. They did even notice everyone else dancing to the same song. The room dissolved around them, and all they conscentrated on was each other. It had been so long since Draco felt bliss, especially with another person. He felt an emotion that he didn't reconize or was even sure that he had ever felt before. Alana had never experienced anything like this before. It was amazing! Everything just felt so...right. They were taken out of their thoughts when the song, suddenly, changed. The slow song turned to a quick and loud one by the Weird Sisters again. Their eyes popped open, and they stared at each other.

Alana felt her cheeks starting to burn terribly and avoided eye contact with Draco. He felt sweat starting to form on the back of his neck. Slowly, they released each other and walked off of the dance floor. Draco and Alana stood where they had been before. He tried to catch her eyes, but she was being shy and distant at the moment.

" Um uh...thank you for the dance, Malfoy. I...uh...I'm going to find my friends." She said, almost too quietly for him to hear over the music.

" O...okay. I'll see you around?" He replied, a pang of disappointment starting up in his heart.

" Yeah, I guess." She said before offering a weak smile and rushing off.

Draco didn't know why, but he was almost sad to see her leave. All of a sudden, he felt cold again. It was like all of the warmth in the room was surrounding her, and now, she was taking it away. He watched her retreating back with confused and saddened eyes. Alana felt just as confused as he did. Her back burned where she knew his eyes were boring holes into it.

" _What just happened back there?_" They both thought.

Later, the party was diminishing, and Alana was struggling to help a drunk Jezebel out of the door. All of her other friends had left, leaving her to the task of helping Jezebel back to the Slytherin Common Room alone. Even Blaise had retired early for the night. She was half way down the hall when she heard someone yell, " Hey! Kaligaris!"

She turned to find Draco running towards her. Jezebel gave her a goofy grin before slouching on her more. Draco caught up to them and smirked down at Jezebel.

" Looks like you need a hand." He said with a laugh.

" Yeah, and it would be very much appreciated." Alana replied with a weak smile.

_The_ dance was left behind them for a moment, and Draco slung one of Jezebel's arms over his shoulders.

" I don need elp from you, Malfloy." Jezebel slurred. " Alany wilt take care ofs me."

" Alany?" He asked, looking towards Alana with a raised eyebrow.

She just shrugged her shoulders as they continued down the halls. It took what seemed like forever to get to the dungeons. When they came up to the Slytherin portrait, Alana gave Jezebel, who was now unconscious, over to Draco and looked at the ground briefly before back up into his eyes.

" Thanks a lot, Malfoy. I owe you one." Alana said, quietly.

" Just make sure that she doesn't drink so much two weeks from now, and I'll be fine." He answered with a smirk.

An awkward silence settled about them. Alana looked back down at the ground again, playing with the sash to her gouchos.

" Listen, about earlier..." He blurted out.

" No, just forget about it." Alana interrupted, starting to blush again at the thought of their dance. " It's nothing worth bringing up. It can be our secret."

" I guess it would be best if Pansy didn't find out." Draco said, attempting a joke.

" Yeah, I suppose so." She answered with a laugh. " Well...again, thank you. Good night, Malfoy."

" Good night, Kaligaris." Draco replied as she walked away.

As he turned to the portrait, Alana turned around and called, " Oh and Malfoy..."

Draco turned to her, and his eyes locked onto hers. She smiled whole-heartily and finished, " Alana is fine. It's shorter than Kaligaris."

Draco smiled and nodded. Then, swiftly, Alana spun around and walked in the direction of the Ravenclaw dormitories. Jezebel squinted up at Draco and smiled knowingly.

" Draco's got a crush." She chanted in a sing-song voice.

" Oh, shut up, Sinclaire!" Draco snapped, looking down at her.

" Denial is always the first stage to a meant-to-be relationship." She resited, before zonking out again.

" _I swear...she's insufferable, even when she's smashed!_" Draco thought as he said the password and stepped into the Common Room.

**A/N: Well, I hoped you liked this new chapter. I thought it was a little slow, but otherwise it was okay. I thought it established the beginning stages of Draco and Alana's relationship. I appreciated the nice reviews on the last two. It made me feel better about the story. Like I said, I'll try to update frequently. Well, please continue reading and some more nice reviews would make me happy. I'll leave you with this questions. What will Draco find out about Alana in the next chapter? Is she really the person everyone believes her to be? -Draco's-Slytherin-Princess438 **


	4. Two of a Kind

**A/N: At last! Sorry it took me so long to update. My computer was down yet again. Have you ever just wanted to throw your computer out the window and watch a car run over it? I'm this close to doing just that. Well, anyway...we're back to the story. After their dance together, things are starting to get complicated between Draco and Alana. Draco is confused about his feelings for her; about whether they're just friendly or infatuational. Alana, on the other hand, doesn't know what to make of him. She knows he different than the person he pretends to be, but still doesn't want to trust him completely. Also, is Alana hiding something? Is there some part about her life she's not letting on to? Will Draco be the one to unlock her secrets? Read and find out.**

Chapter 4

Two of a Kind

_We all drink to forget_

_But some of us more than most_

_When reality gets too real_

_And the fires of hell too close_

_But I'm here to let you know_

_That you can make it through_

_If you believe someone's watchin' over you_

_Call it an angel_

_Call it a muse_

_Call it what you got _

_Comin' to you_

_What's the difference_

_What's in a name_

_But what matters most_

_Is never ever losin' faith_

_Because it's gonna be alright_

_You're not alone tonight_-

"You're Not Alone Tonight"

Keith Urban

After about a month, the parties were still a huge success. Ever since, Alana had noticed how close Jezebel and Blaise had become. They were practically dating now. As for her and Draco, things were still a little awkward, but they managed to get along just fine. Jezebel kept a knowing eye on her friend. Alana's other friends noticed a change in her, too. She no longer wore her spectacles or put her hair up in a bun all of the time. It was amazing how that one party had loosened her up so much. She talked more easily now and didn't have her nose stuck in a book every spare moment of free time that she had.

Draco noticed the changes too and wondered if it was because of him. He'd just shake that thought right off as soon as it would appear in his head. Sometimes he didn't know what to think. Everything had become so confusing since she had come to the school. Pansy didn't even seem like a good shag anymore. The mere thought of even touching her in that way disgusted him. But for some reason, he still hadn't broken up with her. Pansy seemed to notice him acting differently one day in the Common Room. He was just laying lazily on one of the black, leather couches with his arms under his head as he stared blankly up at the high seiling. Usually, he'd be ordering the First years about, but instead he was just lying there.

She sat down on his lap, but he didn't move. After trailing her fingers down his chest didn't get his attention either, Pansy became irritated. Suddenly, she hit her fist into his right kneecap as hard as she could. Draco instantly felt the pain, sat bolt upright, and yelled, " Sweet Jesus! Pansy, what the fuck was that for?"

A few of the Slytherins that were in there turned their heads towards the two, but after Draco glared at them, they turned their heads away. They all knew better than to mess with Draco when he was angry. Pansy crossed her arms in a huff and pouted at him.

" How come you never come to see me anymore?" She asked, in her pitiful excuse of a sad voice.

" Because you bore me." He said, simply, laying back down and staring up at the seiling again.

" What?" She shrieked.

" You heard me. Now, leave me alone!" He ordered, coldly.

" I don't understand! What have I ever done wrong?" She continued, leaping up and standing near him.

" You were born would be a start." He muttered to himself.

" What was that?" She spat, becoming angry.

" Nothing, now just go fuck someone else if you need to get off so badly!" Draco snapped.

" You don't care, do you? You don't give a damn about anyone, but yourself, Draco Malfoy!" She screamed at him.

" _I don't have any reason to." _He thought, solemnly. " _No one cares about me._"

" Well? Answer me, God damnit!" She shouted, throwing her hands up in the air.

Draco got up, took out his wand, and looked at Pansy. She eyed his wand worriedly and shrunk back. Pansy knew perfectly well what he was capable of with a wand. He just looked at her blankly before saying, loud and clear, " _Accio cloak_!"

His black cloak flew towards him from his Prefect dormitory, which he caught with his lightning-fast reflexes. Quickly, he threw his cloak about his shoulders and fastened the silver, serpant clasp before heading towards the portrait hole.

" And where do you think you're going?" She yelled, seethingly after him.

" Out!" He shouted back without turning to face her.

Draco slammed the door shut behind him and stormed down the corridors. Students parted before him, as if sensing his foul mood a mile away. He walked until he came to the entrance of the school. It was cloudy and gray outside. The March air was humid and had the scent of rain to it. A few groups of students were scattered out on the green campus. Draco continued to walk across the grass; the wind blowing his cloak out behind him. The direction he was going led to the old Dark Forest, which Dumbledore had recently managed to convert into a normal forest. Draco knew that he could go there to think.

He was still a ways away when he say a figure come running out of there. Not taking any chances during these times and all, Draco ducked behind a tree and watched the figure come closer into his view. He let out a sigh of relief when it turned out to be Alana. She was wearing gray sweat pants that came to just a little below her kneecaps with two, white striped down the sides. Her white top was covered on the top by a cropped, dark blue sweatshirt. Alana's thick, brown hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail that swayed in time with the rhythm of her stride. She ran in an old, battered pair of white, tennis shoes. Sweat covered her flushed face. Draco watched as her already-toned legs tightened with each long, graceful stride she took. When she came to the tree, Alana stopped and put her hands on her kneecaps, trying to regulate her breathing.

She pulled the stopper on the small, water bottle in her hands up with her teeth, straightened up, and took several, long swigs. Then, she wiped her mouth of the excess water and took off again without even noticing Draco. He watched as she left before he continued on into the forest. Alana had never struck him as the athletic type before, but after seeing her run like that, he could tell that it was something she did regularly. Her legs looked like they were in very good shape, as well as her arms, which he had seen the night of the first party. Sure, they were slender and thin, but he had seen the small, tight muscles clearly. Draco couldn't help, but think that Alana might have made a great Quidditch player.

He sat down under his favorite tree; a weeping willow. The roots that poked out of the ground were big and narled with age. Draco leaned his head back against the trunk and closed his eyes. The world seemed so peaceful right before it rained. It was one of the only times he ever came outside. He wasn't much of a sunny day person, but didn't like bad storms either. His hands began to rub against the grass around him softly, liking the feel of the blades tickling his palms. Then, his left hand brushed against something different. Draco opened his eyes and saw a notebook-sized, dusty blue, sketch book. His brow furrowed as he picked it up and looked it over. It seemed like just a harmless sketch book, and he couldn't feel a dark aura coming from it, so Draco opened it up to the first page. It had a big, fancy, letter A with a rose entwining upwards around the right leg of it. On the bottom of the page, a message was written in long, graceful strokes.

_The private sketches and paintings of Alana Rosaline Kaligaris _

The sketch book belonged to Alana! Draco flipped through the book and looked at the different drawings and paintings that it held. He had to admit, they were excellent. These were the best drawings that he'd ever seen drawn by someone his age! Some of the works were of her family and Greek architecture. Others were of the students of Hogwarts. He found a few good drawings of the Golden Trio, too. Alana had depicted one really well. Hermione was scolding Ron, who was yelling back, while Harry just stood in the middle, shaking his head with his eyes closed. _A Friendly Quarrel_. Draco laughed at it. He'd seen this happen before at odd times. At the bottom in the right-hand corner of each picture was Alana's mark; the letter A with a rose. Then, he stopped at one picture inparticular. It was the time when he and Alana carried Jezebel back to the Slytherin Common Room. They were standing right outside of the portrait; each with one of Jezebel's arms slung over their shoulders.

Alana must have had a photographic memory because their expressions and everything around them were the same as that night. He laughed at the drunkenly comical expression that Jezebel had fixed on her face. She had gotten every detail of his face exactly right, even down to his slightly awkward smile. Down at the bottom was the title: _Slytherins Have Their Funny Moments Too_. He flipped the page reluctantly and found a solitary watercolor of Alana. The picture was from the waist up. She had her eyes closed and her head bowed. Her arms were wrapped tightly around herself, as if trying to protect herself from the cold. The background was painted a dark purplish-blue. She looked sad and afraid all by herself, not to mention insecure. A wind blew through her hair, making it russle behind her. _It Hurts to Be Alone_. He was shocked by the pciture and the title. Was this really Alana?

" _Is that how she really feels?" _Draco wondered._ " Alone and hurting?_"

If so, then he pitied her. This brought a whole new prospective to his opinion on Alana. Were they so different? God, he felt like that almost everyday of his life! It still amazed him that someone with as many friends as Alana could feel that way. Draco closed the sketch book carefully and set it on his lap. He tapped his index finger on the spine of the book at the top. What was he going to do with it? It was going to rain soon. Should he take it back to her? No, he couldn't do that because he wouldn't have known who it belonged to if he hadn't opened it up. But, it would get ruined if he left it here. So, he did the best thing he could do. Draco stuck it inside the hollow of the tree near one of the roots.

" _That should protect it from the rain until she comes back to get it._" He thought before getting up.

As he was leaving the forest, the rain started to come down from the sky. He put up his hood and sprinted towards the entrance to the school, along with the other students that were still outside. That night, Draco lay awake in his bed thinking about Alana. For some odd reason, he couldn't stop thinking about her that night. Was she really lonely with all of those friends around her? It just didn't make any sense. But, maybe she didn't trust them or something like that. He couldn't be for sure. And how was he ever going to look at her in the same indifferent way that he used to? Now, Draco was skeptical about everything he knew about her; everything she did. There seemed to be mystery to this seemingly ordinary girl. Another week past and then, on March 13th (a Friday night), Jezebel had a birthday sleepover in her Prefect dormroom. Pansy's Prefect badge had been taken away when she was caught torturing a group of First year Hufflepuffs by Professor McGonagall and had been given to Jezebel instead since she was the only other Slytherin girl who could be trusted to use it well.

There were about seven girls in all at the sleepover. The girls quickly gave Jezebel her gifts, which she opened hurriedly. When it came to be Alana's turn, she realized that she had left it accidentally in the Common Room. She got to her feet to go get it. It was well after midnight, so no one would be down there.

" I'll be right back." She called from the door.

The Common Room was extremely dark when the fire was lit. Alana rushed down the stairs and felt around for the leather chair that she had set her sketch book on. She had made a drawing for Jezebel. A smile came over her face as she felt her hand brush against the familiar, rough texture of the sketch book's cover. As she was heading back towards the stairs, Alana wasn't watching where she was going and bumped into someone in the darkness.

" Jesus Christ!" A male voice yelled, in surprise.

" Oh, I'm terribly sorry! _Lumos._" Alana said, lighting her wand.

That's when she saw that it was Draco she had bumped into. They stared into each others eyes for what seemed like forever. Alana's cheeks flushed red as he looked at her in surprise. Then, his shocked expression turned into a smirk as he looked down at her.

" I see that you're here for the party." He said, gesturing his head in the direction of Jezebel's room where an obscene amount of laughter was coming from.

" Yeah, I just forgot Jez's present down here, so I came to get it." Alana explained, her blush going away. " Thankfully, no one took it. I don't know what I'd do without my sketch book."

Draco's eyes took in her pajamas. She wore a long, white, night shirt with the words _I had a nightmare. I was a blonde! _printed on the front of it in dark blue. He could see a little bit of the light blue, boxer shorts that she had on underneith it. There was a big stripe of white and a smaller stripe of dark blue inside the white stripe down both sides. Alana looked like a blue girl to him. The color brought out her beautiful eyes. Her hair was down and looked a little messy, but just made her look that much more adorable. Not many girls could pull off the look, but Alana did perfectly.

" I take offence to that shirt." He said, giving her a fake hurt look.

" It means a blonde girl, you stupid git." She explained with a laugh.

" Oooh." He exaggerated with a smile, trying to keep back his own laughter.

Alana shook her head at him and rolled her eyes playfully. He crossed his arms and leaned on the back of one of the couches. She couldn't help, but think how sexy he looked at that moment. Draco was only wearing a pair of black, satin boxers, which contrasted greatly with his porcelean complection. His platinum hair was kind of untidy as well. Alana admired his lean, well-toned body. It was probably all due to Quidditch practice. Draco had the right sized muscles; not too big and not too small. There was a small bruise on his left arm, where a bludger had grazed him in the last game against Gryffindor.

" So, what are you doing up so late, Oh Mighty Prince of Slytherin?" Alana asked with a smirk, leaning on one leg and putting a hand on her hip.

" I don't sleep much, and tonight wasn't a good night at all, so I came down here to think for awhile. I can hear some of the other guys snoring from across the hall up there." He answered, wanting to gulp at how her boxers had risen higher up her upper leg towards her thigh.

" I see. I don't sleep much either, so I know how you feel." Alana replied. " Have you tried insomnia pills?"

" No, why?" He answered, raising an eyebrow. " Do they help?"

" I tried them, but they made me feel funny and sometimes I'd get a little loopy. I got off of them right away. But, you can try them if you want. I just advise that you don't." She explained.

Then, Alana glanced down at the sketch book in her hands and blushed. When she looked back up at Draco, she smiled timidly; her eyes looking everywhere else, but at his own grey orbs.

" Um...thank you for making sure that my sketch book didn't get rained on. I really appreciate it." She said, quietly. " I keep forgetting to put a waterproofing spell on it when I take it outside."

" How did you know that it was me?" Draco asked in surprise.

" I saw you go into the forest during my run. I was taking a shower when I realized that I had left my sketch book in the forest. After it quit raining that day, I rushed back there to see if it was ruined. That's when I found it in the hollow of the tree. I figured you found it and moved it in there." Alana explained. " How come you didn't just bring it to me, though? I wouldn't have been angry."

" I thought that it was an invasion of privacy." Draco answered, looking at her seriously.

" You still looked, though, didn't you?" She asked, looking down at the ground.

Draco paled a little, figuring that he had upset her. He ran a hand nervously through his already mussed hair, but never took his eyes off of her.

" I'm sorry. It was wrong, and I shouldn't have done it. Can you forgive me?" He asked, giving her a weak smile.

She looked up into his eyes with shock, seeing sincerity fill their stormy depths once more. She was sure that Draco wasn't the kind of person that said "sorry" very often. But, then she shook her shock away and smiled understandingly up at him. He looked relieved as she smiled at him. Her smiles were warm and gentle, just like the rest of her. Then, Draco watched as she went through her sketch book, tore out a page, rolled it up neatly, and held it out to him.

" Here," She said, " you can have this one."

Draco took it gently and began to open it when Alana placed a hand over his. A shock of warmth rushed through his whole body, but he pretended not to notice. Instead, he just looked up into her eyes with confusion.

" Open it when you get back up to your room." She said, quietly, with stains of pink on her cheeks before turning to leave.

Draco watched as she neared the steps leading back up to the girls' dormitories and that's when he decided that he had to know. The question was just burning away at him, and he couldn't take it any longer.

" Do you really feel that way?" He called, quietly, after her.

Alana stopped, suddenly, with a foot on the first step and a hand on the railing. Hesitantly, she turned around face him with a look of confusion and uncertainty on her face. Ever so slowly, she walked closer to him.

" Wha...what do you mean, Malfoy?" She asked, tentatively.

" Do you feel so lonely that it hurts? Like no one understands you, and you're all alone in the world? Does your life seem meaningless and empty, Alana?" Draco poured out to her.

He saw her face pale to almost a ghostly white. It looked so different than her usual tan complection. But, Draco was more interested in the look deep inside of her sapphire orbs. For the first time, Draco saw Alana look lost and afraid. She wasn't usually a fearful person. Yes, she was shy, but not a scaredy cat like Neville Longbottom. Sadness creased her forehead as she closed her eyes and hung her head. Draco watched as she took the pose of the girl in the painting. He could almost feel the loneliness seeping from her petite and fragile body.

His pity for her had never been greater. Draco felt like he wanted to take her into his arms and hold her, shield her from all of the loneliness that she suffered from. He wanted to whisper comforting words in her ear and tell her that everything was going to be okay, while stroking her hair. That was the first time in his entire life that he had ever wanted to do that for _anybody_. But, he just stood there and watched her with sympathetic eyes. Finally, Alana opened hers and looked back at him.

" I know that it doesn't seem possible for someone like me to feel alone, especially when I have friends and a wonderful family, who all care about me deeply. Jezebel told me a little about your life, Malfoy, and you have more reason than I do to feel this way, but I'm not a strong person like you are. I feel alone and misunderstood because no one sees me for more than my intelligence and beauty. They never see Alana the artist or Alana the Quidditch player. All anyone ever sees is Alana the scholar or Alana the beauty queen. Why do you think I used to hide my good looks and dress the way that I did? So no one here would see it. The only thing I couldn't help was my academic abilities. My own family doesn't even understand me; not even my older sister.

" I put on a mask, much like yours, Malfoy, that covers up how I truly feel. I pretend to be shy, yet care-free and happy. But on the inside, I'm screaming...screaming for help. No one has ever been able to see through my mask, except one person, and that's you. So, the girl that you saw in the painting, that's the part of me that needs so desperately to be understood. No one ever sees how special she is. If she could be saved, then the true me would shine through, like sun through the darkness of night at sunrise. I was afraid that I'd go through life and no one would ever understand me, but then, you came unexpectedly into my life. I have a feeling that you understand just the way I feel. Am I right, Malfoy?" Alana explained, solemnly.

Draco stood there in awe. God, this was getting freaky! How more alike could they be? She hid from the world, just like he did; behind a mask. They were two of a kind, surrounded by people that would never understand them. That's when Draco strode up to Alana and embraced her warmly. She stiffened with shock. A tiny gasp escaped from her mouth. At first, she was too shocked to do anything. It felt like she was frozen in place. But when he leaned his head on hers, Alana closed her eyes and hugged him back. She shook slightly in his arms, feeling like she was going to sob, but when she tried, nothing happened. Draco bent his head down to her ear and whispered, " I know exactly how you feel, Alana. I never thought that I'd find someone who was stuck in the same situation as me, but here you are. I just can't believe that person is you. You of all people seemed like the last person that would have this problem. All that you've told me seems so unreal. It's just...just so shocking. I'm here for you, though. If you ever need to talk, I'm here."

" Thank you, Malfoy." Alana murmured, softly.

It felt so good for him to hold her again. She felt safe in his arms, like nothing could harm her. All of her sorrows were being blocked out while he embraced her. A single tear came out of each of their eyes; her right and his left. When they finally parted, the two still held each other by the shoulders. Draco reached up and wiped Alana's tear away, while she wiped away his. The moment was just so beautiful, but at the same time incredulous. It seemed like a dream that they had found each other. Suddenly, they both heard a giggle come from the staircase leading to the girls' dormitory, followed by a "ssh!". Draco and Alana looked at the stairs and saw Jezebel along with the other five girls standing there, leaning on the railing. When they noticed that they had all been caught spying, they rushed back up the stairs like a herd of wild elephants, giggling and sshing like crazy. Alana heard Draco mutter something along the lines of " If I ever get my hands on those girls...", while she blushed scarlet in the cheeks. Draco looked down at her and smiled again.

" You can never get a moment's peace at this school." He sighed, while shaking his head with a laugh.

" I've come to notice that." Alana answered. " Well, I better go up there and make up a story about why I was hugging you."

" Okay, but if you need a few memories altered, then I'm just up the stairs over there and to the left." Draco joked, pointing to the stairs nearest the entrance across the room.

" I think I'll manage." Alana replied with a giggle.

She gave him one, last hug before going back towards the stairs. Draco was about to turn around too when he called, " Alana."

Alana spun around again and gave out a fake, exasperated sigh and replied, " Yes, what is it now, Malfoy?"

" It's Draco, alright?" He answered with a smirk.

" Okay." Alana replied, offering him a warm, understanding smile. " Good night, Draco."

" Good night, Alana." Draco replied, before turning and heading towards the boys' dormitories.

Alana walked up the stairs and went back into Jezebel's room, where the girls were waiting for an explanation. Draco opened the door to his room and walked into the darkness after shutting it behind him. That's when he remembered the drawing in his hand that Alana had given him. He lit up his wand, set it on his dresser, and unfolded the drawing carefully. As always, the sketch astonished him. It was of him when Slytherin had been playing against Gryffindor in Quidditch last Saturday. The sketch depicted how he had just caught the golden snitch. Oh, how Draco remembered the astonished expression on Harry's face when he had beaten him to it. Again, Alana had gotten his facial feature just right; from his triumphant, smirking smile to his expressive eyes that were glittering with pride. He held the snitch up high in the air with his right hand as he still sat on his broom stick. The wind was blowing lightly through his hair and making his Quidditch robes russle out behind him.

The stands behind him were filled with cheering Slytherins. At the bottom was the title. Draco smirked at Alana's sense of humor. _Draco Malfoy in All His Glory_ . Then, down in the right hand corner, as always, was her mark. He took his wand and conjured up a dark, mahogany frame for the drawing and put it inside gently. Then, without a sound, he hung it over the dresser with a few, simple incantations. Satisfied with it, Draco walked over to his bed, slipped under the covers, and put his wand on the night stand. As he slipped the green, satin sheets and black, goose down comforter over his body, Draco muttered under his breath, " Nox."

His wand went out, and Draco fell into the first peaceful sleep that he'd had in the longest time.

**A/N: Wow, wasn't that such a shocker? You didn't see that one coming, did you? That was sarcasm for some of you that didn't know. Well, I must go for now, but I'll leave you to mull over this thought. Will friendship be enough for Draco and Alana as their relationship progresses or they take the next step? Find out in the next chapter. P.S: I had to fix some things. Sorry if I put another name instead of Alana. I'm writing two stories at once and I get them mixed up. **


	5. A Kiss From a Rose

**A/N: Hi, everyone. Sorry that it's been so long. I've been very busy since the end of school and everything. That and the love of my life has been keeping me busy, too. Non-suggestive. Well, I bet you all are anxious to see what happens between Draco and Alana. This chapter is dedicated to my boyfriend, Aiden. He gave me the inspiration for this chapter. I love ya, baby. Read and enjoy.**

Chapter 5

A Kiss From a Rose

_Watch my life pass me by_

_In the rear-view mirror_

_Pictures frozen in time_

_Are becoming clearer_

_I don't wanna waste another day_

_Stuck in the shadow of my mistakes_

_Yeah ah..._

_'Cause I want you_

_And to feel you_

_Crawlin' underneath my skin_

_Like a hunger_

_Like a burnin' _

_To find a place I've never been_

_Now I'm broken_

_And I'm fadin'_

_I'm half the man I thought I would be_

_But you can have what's left of me-_

" What's Left of Me"

Nich Lachey

Draco and Alana just continued to become closer and closer with each passing day. Spending time together seemed to help them both with their attitudes. Draco wasn't as cold and arrogant to everyone, and Alana learned to trust people more. The girls still hadn't been able to get the real reason why she had been hugging Draco the night of Jezebel's birthday out of Alana yet, and she didn't seem to be showing any signs of cracking either. During History of Magic class, Alana had been taking notes when all of a sudden, a paper swan flew over and landed on her books. _Read Me_ was scribbled in a harsh, scrawny penmanship on its wings. Alana looked up to see if Professor Binns was looking her way, but he had his back to the class. She quickly unfolded it and read the message.

_A.K._

_I have the Quidditch pitch all to myself at 5:00 tonight for Seeker practice. Would you like to come with me? I want to see if your Seeker skills are as good as you say they are. It will just be the two of us,. Reply ASAP. _

_Your Friendly Slytherin Prince,_

_D.M._

Alana quickly took out a new piece of parchment and wrote a short reply back. She folded it up into a butterfly before blowing on it to make it fly. It landed on Draco's desk to her right; two desks up. The butterfly fluttered its wings on top of Draco's notes with _Read Me_ written on them. Blaise smirked as Draco unfolded the paper butterfly.

" What does your girlfriend have to say?" He whispered.

" She's not my girlfriend for the last, bloody time." Draco muttered back, snappishly. " Besides, it's none of your business, Zabini."

_D.M._

_I would love to kick your ass at Quidditch. I needed something interesting to do tonight anyway since Cleo cancelled on trimming my hair. Poor thing. The witch stumach flu is the worst. Anyway, you better not go easy on me tonight, Malfoy, or else you'll find yourself in far worse trouble than if you beat me. See ya at 5._

_Your Wilting Ravenclaw Rose,_

_A.K._

" Man, I'd like to see your ass get wooped by a girl." Blaise whispered, leaning over to see the note.

" Will, you mind your own business already!" Draco growled, quietly, tucking the note into his robes.

Draco looked over his shoulder at Alana and smirked at her. She just batted her eyelashed innocently at him before returning to her notes. Jezebel caught the look and leaned over from the desk to the right of Alana's.

" What are you and your boyfriend writing notes about?" She asked in a whisper.

" First of all, he's not my boyfriend, so get that through that abnormally thick skull of yours!" Alana murmured back, softly. " Second, I'll tell you after class."

" Okay," Professor Binns said in his dull voice, " can anyone tell me what year the Trolls destroyed the city of Athens?"

Alana rose her hand without looking up from her notes. She and Draco were the only two with hands up in the air. Professor Binns just floated in the air for awhile before saying, " Oh please, are Miss Kaligaris and Mr. Malfoy the only ones that listen in my class?"

The class just raised a few eyebrows as if asking if he was that oblivious, and he rolled his eyes before turning back to the board.

" Miss Kaligaris?" Professor Binns droned.

" It was the year 1354 a.d., Sir." She answered as if she'd said it a thousand times and was getting a little bored of it.

" Very good. Five points to Ravenclaw." He said, continuing to write on the board.

" Well, that had to be easy for her, seeing as how it was in her home country." Blaise muttered with a slight snicker.

" Blaise, she probably doesn't even need to take this class. Alana told me that she was a year ahead of us while she was in Greece." Draco whispered back with a smirk.

After class, Draco waited by the door for Alana. When she came out, he and Blaise followed instep with her and Jezebel.

" So, what are you two love birds up to?" Jezebel asked, teasingly.

" We're not going out!" Draco and Alana yelled together.

Blaise and Jezebel just exchanged knowing smirks with each other. Draco scowled, and Alana rolled her eyes with a sigh, muttering something under her breath in Greek.

" In English please, Dear." Jezebel requested. " We're not as lucky as you are to know two languages."

" Actually, Draco knows French, and Blaise knows Swahili." Alana corrected her.

" What?! You two never told me this!" Jezebel exclaimed, pretending to look hurt.

" You never asked." They both chorused.

" Fine, be that way! Six years of friendship all for nothing." She muttered with a smirk. " Now, Alana, quit beating around the bush."

" It's nothing. Draco and I are just going to play a little Quidditch at the pitch at 5 is all." She replied, though a slight blush had appeared on her cheeks.

" You better watch out, Malfoy. My girl here has told me about what she can do on a broomstick." Jezebel said, confidently, putting a hand on Alana's shoulders.

" What can she do? Shag a guy on it and play at the same time?" Blaise asked with a raised eyebrow.

Draco ducked as Alana whacked Blaise over the head hard with her open palm. Draco laughed as his friend rubbed his head with a frown.

" That hurt, ya know?" He complained, glaring at her.

" Well, maybe next time you won't insult me so vulgarly." Alana replied with a smirk. " Just my luck she turns out to be a virgin." Blaise muttered under his breath.

After classes had ended, Alana rushed up to her room to change. The old jeans and t-shirt with the words _99 Angel 1 She-devil _printed in pink to darkening red letters she'd worn under her school robes that day would be just fine to play in. She dug through her closet until she found what she had been looking for. It was a long, rectangular, cardboard box with _Knock them dead girl! Love, Mia_ written in black marker on the lid. Alana smiled at her sister's sense of humor and confidence in her before removing the lid. Inside was a midnight blue, Quidditch robe with two, thin, indigo stripes going down the sides. She slipped it on, and it still fit her perfectly. Then, she put two black, dragon hide gloves with AK stitched in sky blue lettering on them on her hands. Lastly, she pulled out a pair of black, dragon hide boots and laced them up good and tight. It would be bad if they fell off when she was a hundred feet or more in the air.

Alana went to her vanity and pulled her hair back into a tight braid to keep it from getting tangled. After Alana was finished, she got to the floor and pulled another, long, rectangular, mahogany case out from under her bed. She undid the clasps, flipped it open, and pulled out her well-polished Firebolt. Her parents had given it to her before she left for Hogwarts. When her friends weren't bugging her or if she didn't have any homework, Alana would take it out and polish it. Just because the broom didn't get very much use didn't mean that it needed to be neglected. After pushing the box back under her bed, she took one last look in the mirror before rushing out of the Ravenclaw dormitories.

The wind whipped about her, blowing at her robes and hair as she stepped outside the castle. It was warm out, but was getting a bit chilly. She made her way swiftly towards the Quidditch pitch. The sun was going down already and in another hour or so, it would be dark. Alana felt the excitement of getting to play Quidditch again in the pit of her stomach. She was also, nervous seeing as how she was going to be playing against Draco. When she got to the pitch, Alana saw Draco already flying around over head. At first he didn't seem to notice her. Alana just made her way to where the Quidditch supply trunk was. It hadn't been opened yet. She sat down on the trunk, making it shake because she had disturbed the bludgers. As she watched Draco fly around, Alana wished that she had brought her sketch book to capture the look on his face. He looked so free and content while he was flying, like he was the only person on earth.

Eventually, Draco looked down at saw Alana waiting for him. His heart skipped at the sight of her. As he landed infront of her, Draco gave her his famous, Slytherin smirk, which she was beginning to think made him look even sexier. Alana gave him one of her own, which actually wasn't too bad for a person of Alana's kind demeanor.

" I was wondering if you were going to show up. After awhile, I thought that you had gotten cold feet and stood me up. All well, I wouldn't have blamed ya, since I'm going to beat you terribly." Draco said, leaning on his broom. " And I must say, that Quidditch robe looks good on you. Dark blue and purple are your colors."

" Whatever, Malfoy. We both know that someone is going to lose." She said, walking up to him and sticking her face in his. " And that someone is you. Besides, I didn't know that you thought of this as a date. Oh, and thanks for the compliment."

He admired the challenging gleam in her eyes and her competative nature. She reminded him even more of how alike they were. Draco just continued to smirk down at her before lowering his lips to her ear and whispering, " Enough talk. Let's just see who's better, even though we both know it's me."

He walked over to the supply trunk and opened it. Alana's eyes fell upon his broom that he had laid on the ground. They widened, and she walked up to examine it in awe.

" Thi...this is a Nimbus Firebolt! I can't believe it! I never thought I'd actually get to see one!" Alana exclaimed, looking it over.

Draco turned around as he squatted on his heels and smiled at her.

" Yeah well, my father bought it for me and told me that it might help me beat Potter in Quidditch if I could go faster than on my old Nimbus 2001. I think he's just trying to buy my respect for him." Draco explained with a smirk. " Though, he was parcially right. It helps. That's a pretty nice Firebolt that you got there."

" Oh, thanks. I never use it much, but I try to take care of it as much as I have time for. I've only ridden it about a grand total of four times." She replied with a small laugh.

" All well, you're going to work it hard tonight anyway." Draco said, turning back towards the trunk and getting the snitch out.

Alana's eyes rested upon it. They flashed already with a look of determination. Draco let it rest in the palm of his hand. Then, suddenly, it whipped its golden wings out and started to fly off. One second the snitch was zooming around Draco's head and then, it was right infront of Alana's eyes before disappearing. Draco got up and grabbed his broom. They looked at each with smirks on their face before mounting their brooms.

" On the count of three we go after it." He said.

" First one to catch it gets to brag about their skills as much as he or she wants. Then, the loser has to do whatever the winner wants for a day." Alana explained.

" Fine with me. Prepare to lose." Draco answered.

" Yeah right. One..."

" Two.."

" THREE!!!!" They both shouted before they were off.

Alana kept up with Draco pretty well, considering his broom was a better model than hers. Soon, they separated, going their separate ways to try and find the the snitch. She road up into the clouds, looking every where for it with her sapphire eyes. It felt good to fly again and feel the wind whipping about her on all sides. Suddenly, she saw a flash of green and silver as Draco sped by her; hand outstretched to try and catch the snitch, which was darting everywhere infront of him. Alana spun her broom around and went after him. She managed to catch up and for fun, she rammed her broom into his.

" Hey! This is a friendly competion!" Draco yelled at her, his eyes filled with amusement.

" Ha, that's funny, especially coming from you!" Alana shouted back before setting her sight on the snitch.

Draco went over a little to the side and rammed her really hard, just trying to be funny. But, he didn't realize how hard he hit her, and Alana fell off her broom; only hanging on by one hand! Draco saw this out of the corner of his eyes. He spun around suddenly, and went pale in the face.

" Alana!!!" He yelled, rushing towards her.

But, before he got to her, Alana used her body weight to swing herself back up onto her broom and zoomed past him, but not before flashing him a triumphant smirk.

" Nice try, Malfoy! My cousins used to pull that one on me all of the time!" She yelled back at him.

He shook his head with a laugh and went after her. As he came up beside her, Alana swirved infront of Draco to block him from the snitch. Each time he tried to move, she just kept blocking him.

" Hey, get your broom out of my way, you Wilting Rose!" He yelled, slightly irritated and amused at the same time.

" Make me, Oh Prince of Slytherin!" Alana replied, catching onto their secret game of calling each other by their nicknames.

" Fine! I will!" Draco shouted with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Suddenly, he managed to throw his body up into the air, while his broom slipped under Alana's and then, he landed on it right infront of her. Alana smirked and did the same trick with him.

" This is Quidditich, not leap frog!" He yelled.

Draco heard Alana giggling and he smiled. He hadn't had such a fun competition in a long time. Then, the snitch did a dive, going straight for the ground. Alana and Draco followed it, hands outstretched, ready to grab it. But, it was getting too close to the ground. Draco and Alana looked at each other. The snitch was playing chicken with them. Not wanting to crash into the ground, Draco pulled his broom up, but Alana kept going.

" Alana, are you mad?!" He shouted. " Pull up!"

She did when she was about a foot from the ground. The snitch was right infront of her. Slowly, she started to stand up on her broomstick. Draco had seen Harry try this before in his very first match in First year, but he wasn't going to let her win as easily. He flew down to her; only he was a little higher. Alana saw him, but managed to maintain her balance, while still trying to grasp the snitch. Draco lowered his hand and was about to snatch it up, when all of a sudden, Alana took one step too far and fell forward. She landed on the ground hard; her broom landing beside her! He watched with horror-filled eyes when she didn't get up. After haulting his broom, Draco instantly landed and sprinted over to her. Alana lay on her stomach with her right hand infront of her; her fist clenched shut. He kneeled next to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

" Alana! Alana, are you okay?!" He asked, frantically.

Draco got a soft moan in response and relief flooded over him as she sat up. She had grass strains on her robes and face. Her face was scrunched up and made it look like she had a major headache. Alana rubbed her head with her left hand softly.

" Okay, note to self, never try that trick again." She said with a laugh.

Draco laughed with her, reassured knowing that if her sense of humor was still intact, then Alana was just fine. He put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a sympathetic smile.

" Potter tried that trick, too, in his first Quidditch match. But, he caught the snitch in his mouth and spat it back out. After that, I always prayed that they used a disinfectant charm on the thing. The last thing anyone wants is Potter germs." Draco explained with a chuckle.

" Except Ginny, that is." She put in.

Then, she felt something in her right hand. She rested it in her lap and opened her palm. When she did, both of their eyes widened as the snitch lay there, flapping its wings gracefully. They looked back up at each other, speechless from shock.

" Oh...my...frickin'...God!" Draco stated, simply.

Alana just started to crack up laughing. Tears of mirth began to pour out of her eyes. Then, she got to her feet and started to jump up and down like a school girl.

" I won! I won! I beat Draco Malfoy! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" She chanted.

Draco got to his feet, shaking his head in disbelief.

" I can't believe that you beat me." He said with a laugh at the irony.

Alana stopped and looked at him for a second; a smile still on her face. She took out her wand and used it to put the snitch back in the trunk safely before closing it up. Then, Alana turned back to Draco, put her hands on her hips, and smirked at him triumphantly.

" I told you that I'd kick your ass! How does it feel, Draco Malfoy, to be beaten by a girl, who infact, was on a slower broomstick?" She inquired in a taunting tone.

He gave her an evil smirk before waggling his blonde eyebrows at her. Alana got the hint and started to back up. Draco walked towards her in quick, long strides.

" Draco, no! I'm warning you! Don't even think about it!" She exclaimed, waving a finger at him.

He just came at her in a brisk walk. She let out a yelp before turning around and sprinting off across the grass. Draco took off after her; not far behind. Alana started to laugh along with Draco as he chased her.

" I'm going to get you back for this! I swear!" He yelled to her. " Never doubt a Malfoy!"

She just turned around and stuck her tongue out at him before falling into another fit of giggles.

" Oh, I'm definitely going to get you now!" He shouted.

Draco chased her around the pitch as if they were two, six year olds, who had been long, time friends. Their robes were billowing out behind them as they ran. Alana tried to run faster, but Draco was right on her heels. She lept over the Quidditch trunk and ran in the direction of the Ravenclaw locker rooms. That's when Draco caught up to her and grabbed Alana by the waist. She let out a shriek mixed of laughter as he spun her around with her legs kicking out, trying to get free of his grasp. Then, they both collapsed on the ground in a fit of laughs. They were both breathing hard from both their Quidditch match and then, the chase. When they had settled down a bit, Draco turned to Alana, who was still giggling with an amused smile on her face, and smirked at her.

" I told you. Never doubt a Malfoy." He repeated.

" Oh, trust me, I'll never underestimate what you can do, Draco." She replied, turning to him and gazing into his gray eyes with her sapphire ones.

The sun was down by now and twilight had set in. Draco's hair and pale complection stood out in the dark, as did Alana's sparkling eyes. They smiled whole-heartily at each other.

" That was probably the most interesting Quidditch match I've ever played before." Draco admitted.

" Yeah, it was fun. We'll have to do it again real soon." Alana said, earnestly, before shooting him a competative glance. " Maybe you can beat me next time."

" I know I'll win next time." He retorted with a smirk. " You just got lucky is all."

" Yeah, sure. Just keep telling yourself that, Draco." Alana replied, putting her hands on top of her stomach and looking up at the darkening sky.

Draco followed suit and put his hand behind his head. The sky was a light shade of purplish-blue. Sprinkles of stars were beginning to appear as well. A pale, yet warm light came from the half moon and bathed the pitch in it. The two just laid there quietly, looking up at the night sky and listening to the sounds coming from the owls and crickets.

" It's so peaceful out at night." Alana commented, softly.

" Yeah, this is the best time, too; right in between sunset and midnight." Draco answered in a hushed tone.

" Hmm." Ali let out a content sigh.

" So, what are you going to have me do for you tomorrow?" He asked, smirking up at the sky.

" Oh, I didn't say when. I just said one day. I'm going to save it for the opportune moment. When it comes, I'll know." She replied, looking at him.

Draco turned to face her, and his smirk changed into a genuine smile.

" You really are something, you know that?" He asked.

Alana just blushed, closed her eyes, and turned her head back up into the sky.

" Yeah, that's what they all say." She said, sarcastically.

He knew that she was trying to disguise her sorrow with humor. Draco put a hand on her cheek and turned her face towards his. He gazed seriously into her eyes.

" Don't do that. You know perfectly well that you can't hide from me." Draco told her.

" I'm sorry, Draco. I guess it's just a bad habit." She replied with a heavy sigh.

" Hey," He said, softly, getting her attention again, " I'm always here for you, remember? You can tell me anything."

Alana smiled warmly and put a hand on top of his. He felt instant warmth rush through his body when she touched him as always. Though, this warmth was starting to make him feel nervous. Draco liked that they were friends now. Truthfully, he couldn't have wished for a better friend. But, a part of him wanted them to be more than just "friends". To be perfectly honest, every fiber of his being yearned for her. With Alana, Draco felt alive and warm; something he hadn't felt in an extremely long amount of time. This was something he didn't want to lose. Actually, Draco wanted more of this certain feeling. He didn't care if he was being selfish, he wanted _more_!

" I know, and for that I'm thankful. It's the same for you. Whatever you say, I'll listen and take it with me to the grave." She replied.

" That's my Wilting Rose." Draco said, seeing her go back to normal.

They separated and looked back up at the sky. Draco closed his eyes and started to become really relaxed with the sounds of nature and Alana's steady breathing filling his ears. After a few minutes of silence, Alana said, " Hey, Draco?"

" Yeah?" He answered.

" What's your life like? You know...away from school?"

He opened his eyes immediately at that question. The time had come. Draco knew she was going to be asking him that question sooner or later. His home life was usually something he didn't talk about. It was actually his most guarded secret. Only Blaise and Jezebel knew what his life was like at home. But, Draco trusted Alana completely. He knew if anyone would listen to him, it would be her. Finally, he gave a great sigh before turning to face her.

" Do you really want to know?" Draco asked, seriously.

Alana turned to look at him and nodded. He saw the serious expression on her face and knew that she was sure.

" Well...as you might have guess or heard from Jezebel, my parents are Death Eaters. They serve the Dark Lord and are two of his closest followers. My mother isn't that bad really. She could turn away from him, I guess, but she's probably just too afraid that he'll try to kill her and her family. But my father...my father's the worst. Alana, you don't know how lucky you are to have a family that loves and cares about you. Mine is the exact opposite. If I screw up or make my father angry, he tortures me with curses, preferably the Cruciatus curse." He explained, seeing Alana's horrified expression. " I know...it's terrible, but it's something you get used to. So, I learned to just do what Father wanted and not make him...enraged would be a good word for it. The only reason I even have the friends I do is because they're parents are "friends" with mine. Crabbe and Goyle are too dumb and scared to say "no", and Pansy is just obsessed with me. Blaise and Jezebel are the only true friends I have."

" Besides me?" Alana asked with a weak smile.

" Yes, besides you." Draco replied, sadly, caressing her cheek tenderly before tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. " But, I don't know much longer you'll want to be my friend after I finish."

" Why? What is it?" Alana asked, curiously.

" When I leave Hogwarts next year, the rest of my life has already been planned out for me. My parents will take me to the Dark Lord, and I will have my initiation to become a Death Eater." Draco told her, then going into a whisper, almost choking out his words. " Alana, they want me to become one of them."

Alana looked horror-strickened. She didn't move at all. It was like she had been petrified. When she snapped out of it, Alana's hand sought Draco's and she held it gently in her own.

" What will you do?" She asked, barely above a whisper.

" I want to tell you one thing, Alana, and always remember it. I don't want to become the man my parents want me to be. It may seem strange, but killing people doesn't sit right with me. I just put up an act like it does, so my father doesn't find out. But, really...I have no choice in the matter. I never did. When my parents said I was going to be a Death Eater, that was that. I couldn't deny their wishes, or it would have been curses for days on end. It's people like you that I envy. I envy your freedom to make decisions of what you're going to do with your life. You have the world sitting the palm of your hand, Alana, while I'm trapped in a cage with no escape. I'm afraid that Jezebel and Blaise suffer the same fate. This is why I have my mask. Like you, I want to be saved, too, but up until now, it seemed so hopeless. I'll understand if you feel differently about me now after I've told you all of this." Draco finished.

" I feel no differently about you than when you began, Draco. I'm still with you a hundred percent. You've helped me, and now it's my turn to help you." Alana replied, firmly.

" But, how?" He answered with much confusion. " I already told you. I have no choice."

" Listen, Ginny and Harry told me about this group. It's called the Order of the Phoenix. They're a secret group of people led by Dumbledore, who are plotting to take down Voldemort. Harry, Hermione, and all of the Weasley children are juniors in the Order. Draco, don't you see? They can help you. You don't have to be a Death Eater. You can become an Auror with me, and we could join together." Alana explained with slight excitement in her voice.

" Alana, they'd never except me. They would only accuse me of being a spy for Voldemort. You they'd let in no problem and no questions asked, but with me it's a whole other story." Draco replied, but a spark of hope glittered in his eyes.

" Hey, if they let Snape in, they'll let you." She assured him. " Besides, I'll be there with you when you confront them. I think if they see me supporting you, they'll believe that you are good. You're misunderstood like me, Draco, which makes our attitudes and personalities so much alike. We both have different reasons for being the way we are. I'm being underestimated, and you're being controlled, but it makes us stronger people. We can do anything we want once we set our sights on it. It's like being a Seeker. Seek out your goal and you'll win the game of life."

Alana's words were powerful and reassuring at the same time. Maybe she was right. Maybe Draco didn't have to be trapped. He smiled at her with more compassion than he had ever used before. Alana returned it as she gazed into his eyes.

" Alana, before you came along, I was lonely, cold, and empty. My life had no purpose, and it felt like a piece of me was dying away with each day that passed. But then, you came along and saved me. I feel warmer than I have in years. The loneliness is slowly fading away. For the first time in my life, I'm beginning to feel whole. And it's all thanks to you. You've helped me like I've tried to help you, and I'll always be in your debt. Ever since I first saw you, there was something inside of me that seemed to draw me closer to you. Like my heart was telling me to not underestimate you, even though you didn't seem like much. But, Alana, I found out that you're everything and more. No one could ever replace you." Draco poured out to her.

Alana felt her cheeks flushing profusely, but she couldn't turn away. His eyes held hers strongly, as if begging her to look into their stormy depths forever. At that moment, the whole world seemed to have gone silent. It seemed as if they were the only people left in existance. All Alana could hear was the blood rushing in her ears. Draco's expression softened as he gazed deeply into her alluring, sapphire eyes. They'd bewitched him with a magic far stronger than any he had ever felt before. Without realizing it, he started to lean closer to Alana. Her breath caught in her throat as she knew what was about to happen, but before she knew it, Alana was doing the same. She licked her lips in anticipation subconsciously. As she felt his warm, intoxicating breath on her lips, Alana's eyes fluttered closed, followed by Draco's.

Ever so softly, their lips brushed together. That's when they both felt fireworks explode inside their bodies. It was like the moment they had both waited their whole lives for. Draco snuck his hand around the nape of her neck and deepened the kiss. Oh, her lips were even softer than they looked! It was like touching silk. Alana moved herself to where she was pressed right up against him. Her hand sought out Draco's free one and held it firmly, yet gently within hers as if to never let it go. The other hand snuck its way up to Draco's platinum hair, entwining her slender fingers in the silky strands. Draco worked his lips over her tenderly slow. Usually, his kisses were rough and fierce, but he wanted to be gentle with Alana. He was afraid that if he was too rough with her, she'd break into a million pieces.

They laid there like that for what seemed like forever. It was as if time had stopped all around them. When they separated, Draco and Alana looked at each other with adoration and longing. He moved his hand from the nape of her neck to palm her cheek as she did the same with the hand that had been tangled in his hair.

" A kiss from a rose." He murmured, breathlessly. " I've never felt anything more wonderful in my life."

" I just realized that not all serpants are cold. The one I just kissed was blazing with heat." Alana whispered, softly. " Let's do it again."

With that, Draco pulled Alana so she was laying on top of him and kissed her more passionately. Their first kiss had been slow and sensual, but this one was needy and frantic. Draco kissed her hungrily as if he was dying of thirst, and Alana's lips would quench his suffering. He held her firmly to him with one arm, while the other hand went to cup her cheek again. Alana entwined her hands in his hair again and gripped it gently. When she felt his tongue started to run silkily over her bottom lip, she opened her mouth without hesitation, allowing him access. Draco explored her hollowness with his harshly probing tongue before gently caressing Alana's. She moaned at the new feeling, loving it so much and not wanting it ever to go away.

Suddenly, she flipped them both over, so he was on top. Draco was shocked at her actions, but didn't faulter in the least. He loved the feeling of her body writhing with desire below him. With a groan, Draco pinned her to the ground with his body. Nothing mattered anymore. All of their cares and fears were gone; all sources of loneliness and sorrow forgotten. The only thing the two teenagers were thinking about was each other and how wonderful they felt. They never wanted the moment to end and were praying that it would last for all eternity.

**A/N: Aw...the end of another chapter. I am actually pretty proud of myself with this one. Their first kiss...sigh and on the Quidditch field too. Well, I'll have the next chapter up really soon. Review please. I love hearing what you all have to say.**


	6. A Night to Remember

**A/N: Told you I would up-date soon. Bet you thought it wouldn't be this soon, did ya? Well, surprise! I expect many review for up-dating twice in one day. Okay, well here's another chapter. Read on.**

Chapter 6

A Night to Remember

_You're like a Sunday mornin'_

_Pleasin' my eyes_

_You're a midsummer's dream_

_Under star-soaked skies_

_That peaceful easy feelin'_

_At the end of a long long road_

_You're like comin' home_

_You're like comin' home_-"Like Comin' Home"

Lonestar

After that night at the pitch, Alana and Draco started dating. Everyone seemed glad that Draco had finally left Pansy. The Slytherin girl, though, couldn't have been anymore pleased about being dumped than having to sleep with a live cobra in her bed. Jezebel kept on saying that she knew something had been going on. There was no way in her way of thinking that they could have been _just_ friends. One night during one of the parties, Draco had pulled Alana in a dark corner and started snogging her senseless. They were getting really into it too when Jezebel ran up to them with Ginny in tow.

" Hey!" Jezebel hissed, hurriedly. " Phst, love birds!"

Draco and Alana hadn't seemed to hear her. They just kept right on snogging each other. Ginny was turning a pale shade of green just watching them.

" Oh, come on. Let's leave them be. They're busy." She complained, pulling on Jezebel's arms. " Besides, this is making me sick."

" No, this is important, and Alana will want to know." Jezebel retorted. " Hey! I'm talking to you two over here!"

The only response she got was a small, whimpering moan from Alana when Draco slid his hand up her shirt.

" Okay, this is getting disgusting!" Jezebel exclaimed, aggitatedly. " OY! Quit trying to see who can suck the other's lips off first and pay attention!"

That got them to stop. Draco let out a low growl as he turned around, holding onto Alana's waist with _both_ hands. Alana was blushing slightly as she played with the hairs at the back of Draco's neck.

" Can't you see we're a little busy, Sinclaire." Draco snapped, severely annoyed. " Come back later."

" As much as I enjoyed watching you two necking, I thought that Alana would like to know that Ron is finally making a move on Hermione. But, if you'd rather go back to what you were doing, whatever that display just was, then be my guest." Jezebel explained.

" Oh my God, he is?" Alana exclaimed.

" 'Bout bloody time, too." Ginny remarked, putting her hands on her hips. " Now, maybe Harry and I can have some privacy."

" Well, quit standing there and come on!" Jezebel yelled, going in the direction of the dance floor.

Alana pulled a rather unwilling Draco with her as they came up to where her other friends were. Draco settled for wrapping his hands around Alana's waist again and holding her close as they all watched the scene unfold before them. Ron was dancing a slow song with Hermione, holding her closer than usual. Draco and Alana smiled as it reminded them of their first dance together. The couple looked happy and content, as if they didn't know they were being watched. Then, some people moved their heads in the way infront of them.

" Oy! Move your fat heads two inches to the left!" Ginny hissed, quietly.

The people looked behind them and moved, knowing of the infamous Weasley temper. Alana saw that Ron was moving his hand really far south down Hermione's back. She heard Draco gag behind her and she jabbed him.

" Oh, come on. It's not like you don't try to do the same." She whispered.

Draco smirked and slipped a hand down her thigh towards the edge of her skirt. Alana slapped his hand away and murmured, " Later."

Hermione looked up into Ron's eyes for a second before he palmed the nape of her neck and kissed her. It seemed like the whole room started cheering and making wolf whistles at the two, but they didn't notice. Alana watched as Harry pulled Ginny away out of sight and smiled knowingly. Then, she started to feel her own boyfriend tugging on her and kissing her neck hopefully. With a giggle, she followed.

" Okay can someone tell me the ingredients for making the perfect Veritaserum?" Snape asked, boredly.

Alana was tired. She had been up late with Draco in his room, where they had been studying and snogging each other the previous night. Truth be told, they'd done more snogging than studying. Her brain hurt at the moment. She was only half way through the day and already she was using her full, brain power to get through her lessons. She watched as a Hufflepuff raise her hand tentatively. While she gave Snape the ingredients in a small, quiet voice, Alana started to nod off. She was never going to do anything like that again, even if Draco made her with the Imperius curse, which she knew he'd never use on her. Sometimes she wished that he wasn't so fucking gorgeous...or persuasive for that matter. It would make her life a lot easier.

" Miss Kalgaris!" Snape yelled, suddenly standing right next to her.

Alana sat bolt upright and exclaimed, " I'm awake!"

Snape just raised an eyebrow at her and stalked towards her. A few Ravenclaws snickered at her, and she just wanted to hex them. They weren't helping her mood at the moment. Being tired, also, made Alana enormously cranky. The greasy-haired Potions teacher leaned down in her face and said, " What excuse do you have for sleeping in my class, Miss Kaligaris? I would have expected this from someone like your friend next to you, but not you."

Alana glanced quickly over at Cleo, who looked like she was about to die of boredom at the moment, before looking at Snape. Her eyes were clouded over with exhaustion; he could tell without asking that she hadn't slept at all. She was giving him that pleading look that meant for him to please refrain from having her explain to him what had happened.

" Gather you books and leave. Come back later when you're willing to pay attention and collect your assignment." Snape sighed, not wanting to waste his time ranting at her.

Alana yawned as she gathered her books and got out of her seat. She had her hand on the door when Professor Snape added, " Oh and Miss Kaligaris..."

Alana turned around and looked at him pleadingly. All she could think of doing was going to her room and sleeping for the rest of her life.

" Tell Mr. Malfoy that if he keeps you up again, I'll land you both in detention for two weeks." He drawled with a smirk. " Is that clear?"

" Crystal, sir. I promise, it won't ever happen again." She said, hurriedly, before stepping out the door.

She left the class room and made for the Ravenclaw dormitories. There was an hour of time that Alana could devote to sleeping before she had to go off to Herbology. As she was walking down the hall, she ran right into someone! Alana's feet went out from under her, and her books fell to the ground. She moaned from her exhaustion and now the throbbing bump on her head that she probably had from hitting it hard on the cold, stone floor. Her eyes were closed, trying to ease the pain. Well, that's what she got for looking at the ground when she walked.

" You really need to stop looking at the ground while you're walking and watch where you're going, Love." An amused voice said.

Alana reluctantly opened her eyes and saw Draco kneeling over her with a smirk on his face. She just wanted to wipe that smirk right off of his face, but she decided to humor him just this once. That and his smoldering stormy gray eyes made all of her irritation disappear. He helped her sit up and then, went about gathering her books.

" What are you doing out of class anyway, Alana?" Draco inquired, curiously. " I thought you had Potions this hour."

" I should be asking you the same question. I thought you had Care of Magical Creatures." Alana replied, blinking her already heavy eyes.

" I often skip that class. It's easy to catch up on. But from the looks of you, I'm guessing you nodded off in Snape's class and he sent you away. The slimy git didn't give you a detention, did he?" Draco asked, coming back to sit with her.

" No, but we'll both get two weeks worth if this happens again though. Besides, he wouldn't give me a detention on a first offense. In his own, weird way, I think Snape likes me." Alana explained, tiredly.

" Seeing as how you don't act like a know-it-all like Granger and do excellent in his class, I think he likes you second best only to me." Draco replied with a smile. " Now here, let me get you to bed."

" Do you think if I just sack out right here, anyone will mind?" She asked with a joking glint in her eyes.

" I don't think anyone, but Filch and myself would." Draco answered, trying to keep from laughing. " Now, come on. I'll even carry you to your room if I have to."

" Just to the the portrait, please. I think I can handle it from there." Alana replied with a yawn.

Draco handed Alana her books, which she took as a reflex, before she felt herself being lifted up into his arms. She looked up at him, startled.

" You know I was just kidding, right?"

" Yeah, but I was serious." He told her, starting off at a brisk walk. " Besides, I highly doubt you would have made it much farther after seeing the exhaustion in your eyes."

She let the comment slide and just nestled against his warm body, half tempted to fall asleep right then and there. He walked swiftly as he carried her up several flights of stairs. A few students that were roaming the halls stopped to stare at them before Draco barked at them to keep going or else he'd deduct points from their house. When they reached the Ravenclaw portrait, Draco set Alana down on her feet and kissed her briefly on the lips.

" Get some sleep, okay?" He told her, rubbing her arm affectionately.

" Mhmm." She murmured.

Alana watched as he walked off before saying the password and going up to her room. She threw her books to the floor before flopping down on her bed and passing out. When she woke up again, it was already dark out.

" _Shit, I miss five classes!_" Alana thought in despair.

As she sat up, Alana stretched her arms over her head and looked around the room groggily. She'd have to get the homework from her teachers tomorrow and just say that she wasn't feeling well. Alana was sure that a few of her fellow Ravenclaws could vouch for her, saying that she had looked a bit under the weather. Then, she heard a tapping sound on the window. She looked and saw a tawny-colored owl with bright orange eyes sitting outside on the window sill. That's when she noticed it had a letter in its beak. Alana got up and opened the window. The owl flew in and landed on the chair to her desk.

" Whatca got there?" She asked, taking the letter from it gently.

She tore it open, reconizing Draco's handwriting on the front immediately.

_A.K._

_I figured that when you didn't show up for Charms that you must have thought that sleeping was more important than your classes. I'm sure that you're hungry since you missed lunch, so meet me out in the forest around 8 for dinner. Can't wait to see you._

_Your Friendly Slytherin Prince,_

_D.M._

Alana looked at her watch and saw that it was already 7:45. She rushed to her closet and hurriedly picked out something to wear. After throwing on a red, lacy, corset top and a black, mini skirt, Alana went over to her vanity and brushed out her tangled hair before putting a red headband on. It had a red rose on the left side of the headband with red glitter outlining the petals. Then, she dug out a fake ruby medallion from her jewelry box and fastened it around her neck before putting on dangly, ruby earrings.

Alana grabbed a bottle of the perfume (_Live_ by Jeniffer Lopez) and sprayed it on. She knew that it drove Draco wild when she wore it. Then, Alana rushed back to her closet, pulled out a pair of red heels, and hurriedly fastened the straps securely around her ankles. She used her wand to put her make-up on since she was running out of time and couldn't do it herself. After grabbing a cloak, Alana rushed out of the Ravenclaw dormitories. She had about six minutes to get down to the forest. As she was rushing through the corridors, Alana accidentally ran into Blaise just as she was about to go down the main staircase! He managed to grab her arms before she fell to the ground.

"_ I really have to stop doing that._" Ali thought.

" Man, Draco's right. You do smell irresistable while wearing that perfume." Blaise joked, smirking, as he let her go. " Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

" I have to meet Draco in the forest for dinner, and if you keep me much longer, I'm going to be really late." Ali told him, hurriedly.

Then, she took a second to take in Blaise's appearance. He was attired in a nice pair of black slacks and an emerald green, dress shirt. Alana raised a suggestive eyebrow before smirking back at him.

" Well, well, well...don't we clean up nicely? Going to meet Jez I suppose. I won't keep you, then."

" And I'd hate to keep you two love birds apart for much longer either. I know that you guys can't take separation for very long." Blaise replied, looking her outfit over for a second. " And with what you're wearing, I don't think Draco is ever going to let you go again."

" Just go to your girlfriend, Zabini. Tell her I said ' hi '." Alana said over her shoulder as she rushed along.

" Alright, Kaligaris." He yelled and continued on his way.

Alana figure that he was heading in the direction of the Seventh floor. It was Tuesday, so there was no party in the Room of Requirement.

" _Heh, they'll probably just have a little party of their own._" She thought with a smirk.

When she got outside, Alana pulled her cloak closer around her body. It was really chilly out tonight, especially for April. She walked swiftly in the direction of the forest, keeping to the shadows so no one in the castle would see her. As she got closer, Alana saw a sole figure leaning up against one of the trees on the edge of the forest. Draco smiled when Alana ran up to him. He caught her in his arms and started to kiss her hungrily. Alana pressed herself up against him, straining upwards to deepen their kiss.

" Mmmm...Draco." She moaned into his mouth.

" I love it when you say my name like that." He murmured back.

She ended the kiss, though Draco seemed to want more. Alana smirked as she laid two fingers on his lips. He raised an eyebrow before taking her hand in his.

" How about we have that dinner now?" He whispered in her ear.

" Sounds great." She replied with a smile.

Draco put his hands over her eyes and led her into the forest. She just kept smiling, even though she didn't have the foggiest idea where she was going. He seemed to be watching out for her as he guided her along, though, so Alana knew that she was in good hands. She trusted Draco with her life.

" Where are you taking me?" She asked, her voice barely contained her excitement.

" If I told you, then it wouldn't be a surprise anymore." Draco whispered in her ear, smirking so badly that Alana could almost hear it.

" Just what are you up to, Draco Malfoy?" Alana replied, a smirk of her own appearing on her face.

" You'll see in a few seconds." He answered as they came to a stop.

Slowly, he took his hands from her eyes. Alana looked at the glade for mere milli-seconds before her hands flew up to her mouth. Draco had really out done himself this time; that was for sure. The grass had been turned into crystal clear water with red rose petals floating on the surface. A red Persian rug sat on top of the water as well. Candles floated above everything; the light coming from them danced around the whole area in a warm glow. Stepping stones created a path to the rug for them to cross over the water.

" Oh my Lord! Draco...you did all of this?" Alana asked, breathlessly, turning to look at him with an awed expression.

" I'd do anything just to see you happy, Alana." He murmured, kissing her forehead affectionately.

" This...this is all so wonderful!" Alana gushed out. " Thank you so much!"

" Well, come on. We better eat the dinner I had prepared for us before it gets cold." Draco said, putting a hand gently on the small of her back, encouraging her towards the stepping stones.

As they walked across them, Alana asked in confusion, " But won't the rug sink once we sit on it?"

" Do you think I'd put it there if it would sink on us?" He answered with a slight chuckle. " No, it won't sink. I used a couple of spells so it would stay where it was. The rug won't even so much as float around while we're eating."

When they walked onto the rug, Alana saw that Draco had been right. It didn't even move in the slightest. She surveyed the silver dining set that was set out for them. There were different colored pillows of all sizes spread out as well for comfort. Alana sat down on a royal blue one, while Draco sat next to her and took the lid off of one of the plates. Her eyes lit up again when she saw the food.

" Chicken Parmesan! This is my favorite dinner!" She exclaimed, looking at him again. " How did you know?"

" Well during lunch, I talked with a few of your friends, and they told me some of the foods that you liked. So, I merely went down to the Kitchen and got the House Elves to help out. They were more than happy to do it for the occation." He explained, smiling warmly at her.

Alana gave him a hug before turning back to her dinner. She was famished, and the chicken and tomato sauce smelled delicious. After placing one of the white and gold, linen napkins in her lap, she started to eat hungrily, while managing to still be lady-like. Draco just smiled at her before he poured out some Shiraz for them both in two, crystal goblets. They talked and laughed cheerfully as they ate their meal. It had gotten really warm from the heating spell that Draco had cast on the rug that they had discarded their cloaks after awhile. Draco told Alana about a few of the happy memories he had about his childhood. Most of them were actually pretty funny.

" I can't imagine you falling off of a broom. You just seemed so skilled at it." Alana laughed before taking a sip of her wine.

" Well, five year olds and brooms just don't mix. Especially, when you're fifteen feet in the air and your father is yelling at you for not doing something right." Draco replied with a chuckle. " I remember having to go to St. Mungo's because I broke my left arm and a couple of ribs. Mother fussed over me for a week, and it nearly drove me insane."

" But, I thought that you were already insane." She said, raising an mocking eyebrow.

" Watch it, young lady, or I just might have to punish you." He retorted with a devilish smirk.

" Oh, I'm so afraid. I can barely stop shaking in my heels." She giggled, wiping her mouth of any remains of the tomato sauce.

Draco waved his wand at the empty and dirty dishes, leaving only their half empty wine glasses, the bottle of Shiraz, and a covered bowl. Then, he lifted the lid and revealed that the bowl was filled with strawberries. Alana looked at him and shook her head amusingly.

" My friends were probably all too eager to tell you all of my favorites. You've been pampering me all night. Are you expecting something in return, Mr. Malfoy?" She asked, sweetly, raising a suggestive eyebrow.

" I can only hope, mi'lady." He answered with a smirk, taking a strawberry and holding up to her mouth.

Alana flashed him a smirk of her own before excepting the gesture and biting into the piece of fruit. It tasted so sweet and juicy. She smiled as she took one and did the same with Draco. They just sat there, feeding each other strawberries until they ran out. After he had made that empty bowl disappear as well, Draco put an arm around Alana's shoulder and pulled her body closer to his. She snuggled up to him as she sipped her wine contently. Everything was so perfect; the food, the atmosphere, the company. Alana had never had a better night.

" I want to thank you again for all of this, Draco. It was really sweet of you to do all this for me." She said, looking up at him. " I don't know how I'll ever repay you for your kindness."

He looked down at her and smiled warmly before saying, " There is no need to repay me, Alana. I did this just as I said before, to make you happy. When you're happy, I am."

Alana sat her glass down and turned towards him fully, resting a hand on his chest.

" I won't ever forget this night, I promise." Alana murmured, looking deeply into his eyes.

Draco leaned down and slowly brushed his lips over hers. He wrapped his arms securely around her, pulling her petite form close to him. Alana closed her eyes along with him as their kiss deepened. She draped her arms gracefully around his neck; her fingers teasing the hair at the back of his neck. Draco moaned as their tongues clashed inside her mouth fiercely. He kissed her harder; the heat and passion between them rising rapidly. Slowly, Draco lowered her body down onto the rug, laying on top of her gently. Alana writhed with need and desire beneath him; their legs becoming tangled with each other.

One of her hands ascended upwards and entwined itself in his hair, clenching it harder as Draco started to grind his pelvis into hers. She felt a large, definite bulge rub up against her lower stomach. After ravaging her lips for a few more minutes, he trailed seductive, wet kisses down her neck softly. Draco nipped playfully at the thin flesh at the crook of her neck before smoothing it over sensually with his tongue. Alana gasped as she felt him travel farther down to her chest, kissing the outline of her top. His hand ran down the side of her body, resting on her hip before going lower. Draco lifted her skirt slightly and started to caress her core through her black, lace undergarmet.

A pitiful whimper escaped her lips as Alana held him closer as new sensations rushed throughout her entire body. His fingers started build her up and up, sending her closer to euphoria. Draco came back up to her lips and kissed her even more passionately than before. A sudden shock went through her body, and Alana's legs clenched around his wrist. Draco ended the kiss immediately and looked down at her with lust-darkened eyes. Alana opened hers weakly, breathing hard from all of the action. He knew that she had never done done anything like this before and didn't want to do anything that she was uncomfortable with.

" Do you want to stop here for tonight? If you're not ready for the next step, then I understand." He asked, breathlessly. " We have all the time in the world, Alana."

" I think that's a good idea. I just want to wait a bit longer, Draco." She responded, brushing her lips lightly over his. " Just a bit longer."

Draco smiled understandingly down at her. He could feel how weak she was at the moment. Her legs were trembling against his. They laid there like that for awhile before finally getting up and grabbing their cloaks. As Alana draped hers over her shoulders, Draco took out his wand.

" I have one more thing to give you tonight." He announced.

After muttering an incantation, he conjured up a crystal rose. The petals were the lightest, aqua blue, while the stem and leaves were the perfect shade of green. Draco held it out her with a charming smile and said, " A beautiful flower for the most radiant woman on the face of this earth."

Alana excepted it with a shy smile and held it close to her chest, taking care not to hold it too tightly. He helped her to her feet, and they walked out of the glade together as everything vanished behind them. Draco walked her back to the Ravenclaw portrait with his arm around her waist the whole time. When they stopped infront of it, he pulled her close to him once more and gave her a final, lingering kiss. When they parted, Draco stepped away and bowed to her with a flourish. Alana giggled with a radiant smile.

" I thank you for a wonderful evening, mi'lady, and wish you a good night."

" Your welcome, my prince." She answered, curtsying delicately.

" I hope you sleep well." Draco added, embracing her warmly one more time.

" Likewise." Alana whispered. " Good night, Draco."

" Good night, my sweet Alana." He murmured back, kissing her head tenderly.

They parted again, and Draco walked off in the direction of the dungeons swiftly. Alana watched as he rounded the corner before turning back to the portrait. She looked down at her crystal rose and smiled even brighter. It was the perfect end to a perfect night.

**A/N: Well, I hope you all liked it. What will happen next. How far will Draco and Alana go? Review please! **


	7. Falling for the First Time

**A/N: Now, I know I have nothing to do tonight if I've up-dated three times tonight! All well, here's another chapter. Enjoy.**

Chapter 7

Falling for the First Time

_The strands in your eyes_

_That color them wonderful_

_Stop me and steal my breath_

_And emeralds from mountains_

_That throstles the sky_

_Never revealing their depths_

_And tell me that we belong together_

_And dress it up_

_With the trappings of love_

_I'll be captivated_

_I'll hang from your lips_

_And stand on the gallows_

_Of heartache that hang from above_

_And I'll be your cryin' shoulder_

_That it'll be love suicide_

_And I'll be better when I'm older_

_That I'll be the greatest man of your life-_

" I'll Be"

Edwin McCain

Jezebel sat down with a flourish at the Slytherin table in the Great Hall. Draco acknowledged her presence briefly before going back to his lunch. She gathered things on her plate before putting her elbows on the table and resting her head in her palms. Draco looked up and notice that she was giving him that knowing look of hers. He raised an eyebrow before shaking his head.

" Okay, what do you want?" He asked, warily. " That look is really starting to annoy me."

" Oh, nothing. Alana told me about last night. I didn't know that you could be _that_ sweet." Jezebel replied, twirling a piece of black hair with her finger. " Well...actually, I didn't know that you could be sweet at all."

" I have my moments." He said, simply with a shrug.

" Did she..."reward" you in anyway?" She asked with a smirk.

Draco's head shot up immediately. Jezebel laughed at the look on his face. His eyes were wider than ever.

" Sinclaire, you're really pushing it, so be careful what you say on that subject from now on." He growled.

" Oh, quit being so defensive. You've always been able to talk about that aspect of your life with me." She replied.

" I guess if I don't tell you, you'll just badger me all day until I do." He said with a sigh.

" Yep...now spill, Romeo." Jezebel ordered, leaning forward.

" We did nothing. We kissed, that's all." Draco lied, leaving out the part where he had pleasured Alana.

" Oh wow. Sounds like you guys are really going fast with this relationship." She remarked, sarcastically.

" So she wants to wait. Is that such a bad thing?" He asked, like it was no big deal.

" With her no, but with you it's a very big deal. I've never heard you even think of waiting for anyone. About a month or two into a relationship, you're usually fucking the poor girl's brains out." Jezebel commented.

Suddenly, a sly smile appeared on her face. Draco was wondering what she was smiling about, until he felt a pair of soothingly gentle hands on his shoulders. When he looked up, Alana stood behind him, smiling as warmly as ever.

" Good morning, Love." He said as she leaned down and brushed her lips over his.

" Morning, Draco. How did you sleep?" She asked.

" Not bad for once." He replied, pulling her into his lap. " And you?"

" Very well. I haven't slept so good in a long time." Alana said as she ran her hands through his hair.

" I'd sleep even better if you were there with me." Draco murmured, suggestively, kissing her neck lightly.

Alana giggled at his teasing, but arched her neck to give him better access.

" Okay, you two, cut it out. You're out in public, and no one wants to see both of you snogging each other senseless." Jezebel said, rolling her eyes at the two.

" If you don't want to watch, then leave. I can snog my girlfriend anywhere I please." Draco replied with a smirk.

" She's got a point, though. Come on, let's go. We can continue this somewhere more private." Alana whispered in his ear.

" You might want to cut it short. Class is starting again in a few minutes." Jezebel interjected, watching several students leaving the hall.

" Okay, you need to stop listening in on our conversations." Draco said, pointing a finger at the Slytherin girl. " But, she's right. We'll continue this later."

They all got up and went off to their next class. After sitting through extremely boring lessons in History of Magic and Astronomy, Alana thought that she was about to die. This day had been pretty uneventful so far. She was on her way to Charms at the moment, stopping occationally to tell students not to run in the halls or to stop loitering. Her mind was else where, though. Alana hadn't stopped thinking of the previous night. She realized how lucky she was to have found a guy like Draco. He treated her like she was a goddess. What girl wouldn't like that kind of attention? But, one thing was still uncertain. Did he love her? Draco's actions could be taken as love, but he'd never said " I love you " or anything like that. Alana wasn't completely certain that she loved him either.

Her head was starting to hurt from all of her thoughts. Actually, she was so absorbed in them that when someone put their hand on her shoulder, she nearly jumped out of her skin and she spun around. Her eyes were wide as she took in Draco's amused expression. Alana could tell that he was just barely containing his laughter.

" Geez, a little jumpy are we today, Love?" Draco asked with a chuckle.

" You know...if you keep sneaking up on me like that, I'm going to get a bell for you. That way...I'll know when you're coming and won't nearly die of a heart attack." She replied, smiling up at him after recovering from her shock.

" Yeah, but then, I couldn't surprise you. And I know how much you like my surprises." He retorted with a smirk as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

Just the look on his face at that moment was tempting. His hands were up to no good as they caressed her lower back and thighs. And that oh so sexy smirk of hiss was driving her wild.

" Shouldn't we be getting to Charms?" She asked, her eyes becoming somewhat lustful as he leaned down slightly.

" Yes, we should, but we don't have to." He murmured before brushing his lips over hers.

Alana immediately fell into the kiss. Draco's kisses were always so intoxicating, and she was already severely addicted to them. She draped her arms around his neck as he pulled her closer to him. Their kiss became more passionate and needy as Draco pulled her into a shadowed crevice. With his body, he pinned her against the wall. Alana arched her back out as one of his hands came up to cup her breast. She moaned into his mouth as he gave it a gentle squeeze. Draco trailed his lips up to her earlobe and started to suck on it, grazing his teeth over the earringless hole. Alana's hands went into his hair and held his head securely.

" Mmm...Draco, don't stop." She pleaded in a whisper, helplessly.

Draco continued, feeling like he couldn't stop, even if he tried. What drove Alana over the edge was when he started to grind his hips into her hard. She could feel his excitement clearly through his pants.

" Mmm...now!" She moaned. " I...I need you now!"

Draco looked up from her earlobe and gazed down into her eyes lustfully at the mere mention of those words.

" Are...are you sure?" He asked, breathlessly, searching her eyes for any signs of fear.

She nodded her head and pulled his lips down to hers. She kissed him fiercely, letting him feel her desire. When she ended it, Alana said, " I've waited long enough."

Draco merely nodded before re-attacking his lips to hers again. They stumbled out of the crevice and somehow made their way to a nearby door. When Draco tried to open it with his free hand, it turned out to be locked. He cursed at it in frustration. Now was not the time to have a locked door.

" _Alohamora_." He muttered into Alana's lips as he pointed his wand at the door.

It clicked before the door swung wide open. They made their way in without breaking the kiss before Draco flicked his wand at the door, making it close and lock. He parted from her lips and trailed them down her neck as he pressed her up against a wall. Alana felt him mumble something into her skin, and suddenly, several, fur blankets covered the middle of the room with many candles around them. The room was dim from the cloudy light seeping through the high windows, but the candles gave the room a comforting glow.

" Do you know how long I've wanted you for?" He murmured as he continued to kiss her neck.

" Mmm...since last ni...ight." She answered, through her moans and gasps.

" Mm. Much longer." He replied as he pressed his forehead against hers before kissing her feverishly.

Even though they were both preoccupied enough, Alana and Draco started to fiddle with the clasps to each other's robes, while moving to the middle of the room. When they both got them undone successfully, the robes both fell to the floor in a puddle of fabric. Draco swiftly pulled off Alana's black, wool vest before working on her blue and bronze, Ravenclaw tie, while she struggled with his green and silver, Slytherin one. After they were discarded, Alana slowly sank to the floor, knowing that her legs wouldn't support her for too much longer if he kept kissing her like that. As Draco went down with her, his fingers working skillfully at the buttons of her white, button-down shirt.

He slipped it off of her quickly before parting from her lips for air. Draco propped himself up on one arm and looked down at Alana, who was only clad in a white, lacey bra on top. The cool air in the room and his gaze gave her goose bumps. She smiled breathlessly up at him, while one of her fingers entwined a strand of her hair around it. He returned it as he stood up. Tantalizingly slow, Draco undid the buttons to his own white shirt one...by one. Alana licked her lips in anticipation as her eyes grew more lustful. His amazingly toned, pale chest glowed in the candle light. He smirked at the look on her face as he slid the shirt off fluidly.

" Enough, you bloody tease." She hissed, matching his smirk.

Draco sunk to his knees and straddled her hips. Just to tease her more, he ground his hips into hers one more time, earning a gasp of desire from Alana. Then, he felt Alana's hands come up and grasp his shoulders before pulling him down to her roughly.

" A little anxious, aren't we?" He asked in a sexy whisper, raising a suggestive eyebrow.

She responded by putting her hands about his neck and brought his lips crashing down on hers. Draco was surprised at her passion, but he wasn't complaining. He pushed her body further into the furs, caressing her sides softly. Then, his hands snuck around her back sauvely. Alana felt him expertly unclasp her bra, and the constraint on her breasts was released. He pushed it away carelessly and held her to him awhile longer, liking the feel of her bare breasts pressed up against his chest. Slowly, he worked his way down her neck to her chest; his lips feeling hot, yet silky smooth against her flesh. His eyes widened slightly when he finally saw her breasts. He now knew why she had been so intent to hide them before. No boy in his right mind would be able to resist her if he even caught a mere glimpse of them. Alana moaned when he started to kiss and suck on her nipples sensually. Her back arched when she felt his tongue caress her skin. One of his hands gave her other breast its full attention, while the free one pulled off her knee-length, black skirt.

After he had cast that away as well, his fingers brushed over the white, lacey material of her panties. She let out another gasp when he massaged her core like he had the night before. All of these actions were driving her wild. Several pleasurable jolts kept rushing through her body continuously. Draco grinned into her breast as he realized that only he could ever make her feel this way. He loved the way her body writhed and squirmed with pleasure beneath him. Just to heaten things up, Draco snuck his hand into her panties and entered two fingers into her. Alana whimpered as he pumped them in and out quickly.

" Y...yeees." She whispered, pitifully.

" You like that?" He asked, seductively.

" Mhmm. More." She begged with a moan.

He smirked and entered yet another finger, feeling just how tight she was. No girl he had ever been with had been this tight before. It made him harden even more when he thought how it would feel when he was inside of her. Alana struggled with the belt to his jeans with trembling hands. Everything that he was doing to her made it harder for her to concentrate. Finally, she got the stubburn piece of leather off and threw it across the room. After getting his jeans undone as well, she pushed them off as much as she could. Draco managed to wriggle out of them the rest of the way before kicking them off. Now, the only thing separating them from each other was their underwear. Draco traveled back up to Alana's lips again as he used the hand he had been pleasuring her with to separate her legs. His covered member brushed against her entrance, and Alana shivered slightly. Draco brought his hands up near her head to brace himself a little better.

Alana's hand traveled down to his boxers and started to stroke him. Draco groaned into her lips, but she wanted a better response, so she grasped him firmly through the silken material. Suddenly, Draco stopped kissing her, closed his eyes tightly, and let out a whining moan. Alana smirked at the pitiful look on his face and ventured further. She put her other hand on his cheek, making him look down at her. They gazed into each other's eyes as Alana slipped her hand into his boxers. Draco groaned throatily before saying, " Don't...don't stop. Oh bloody hell...don't stop!"

He collapsed on her chest; his forehead pressed against hers again. Alana grasped him again and began to gently squeeze and rub his already throbbing erection.

" Sweet Jesus...Alana." He breathed.

Unable to take it anymore, she used her hands to push off his boxers, letting him discard them with a few kicks. Draco fluidly slipped her panties off of her smooth legs and threw them on top of his boxers. For a moment, Draco sat up and looked down at all her for the first time. Alana turned her head away, avoiding his gaze out of embarrassment. This was the first time a boy had ever seen her completely naked. Then, she felt his hand cup her cheek and Alana looked up into his warmly smiling face.

" Don't. I've never seen anyone more beautiful in all my life." He whispered. " Now, are you sure you want to do this, Alana?"

She nodded her head slowly; her smile saying everything and more. They each grabbed their wands at the same time. Alana put a Silencing spell over the room for better protection. Then after discarding it, she watched as Draco pointed his at her stomach.

" _Anti-Pregneto_." He muttered, before casting his wand away as well.

Draco then, settled himself in between her legs slowly. Alana blushed when she felt the tip of his manhood at her opening. She held onto Draco tightly, burying her face in the crook of his neck, awaiting the pain that she knew would surely come as Draco gathered her in his arms as well. Alana shivered at the thought that there was no going back now, but she was certain that it was Draco she wanted to lose her virginity to. " No going back." She heard him murmur into her ear.

With no more hesitation, he flung himself deep inside of her, tearing through her innocense. This caused Alana to yelp in pain and dig her nails into his back. It aroused Draco more, and he started to thrust into her quickly. He couldn't believe how much he wanted her. All that he knew was that his need was great and he _would_ have her. Alana clung to him helplessly as if her life depended on it. There was excrutiating pain; almost too much to bear at first. But as soon as it came, it left, being replaced by the most pleasurable friction inside of her, caressing her up and down. Soon, she was rocking her hips in an attempt to keep up, which made her inexperience more noticeable, but caused their love-making to be even more desirable and passionate. Draco groaned throatily to Alana as her muscles spasmed around him. She gave him a whimper back as he filled and emptied her, then repeated the cycle over. Their legs were tangled together, tightening and relaxing in rhythm with the rest of their bodies.

" Oh Alana...you feel so good!" Draco moaned, breathlessly.

Draco pushed her body down further into the furs, torturing himself with long, powerful thrusts. Alana threw her head back and moaned loudly. Now that her neck was exposed, he started to kiss and bite into it. She dug her nails further into his back as pleasure coarsed through her body.

" Drrrrraaaaacccccoooo!!!!!!!!!!" She screamed out, helplessly.

" You...got...that...bloody...fuckin'...right!" He panted, plunging into her hard.

Draco pressed his forehead to hers as he bucked wildly. Their bodies were now coated with sweat. They both were shivering from the cold and exploding pleasure inside of them. Sapphire gems stared into stormy gray orbs as their faces began to contort with ecstacy. The room was filled with whining moans and intoxicated gasps. Alana arched her back and pressed her body against his. He dove in and attacked her lips, kissing her passionately. While he was kissing her, Alana grabbed onto his arms and flipped up top. Draco was slightly shocked, but didn't show it. Alana ground her hips into him hard, trying to get as much of him into her as possible. He broke the kiss and collapsed onto his back, whimpering madly.

" _Where the hell did she learn that?_" Draco thought.

His hands came to rest on the small of her back, urging her closer. She loved the way his normally perfect hair was splaid out on the fur around him in a silky, platinum puddle. The feeling of him rising to meet her hips was overwelming.

" Bloody hell...Alana!" He moaned as she bent lower to kiss him. " Do you know what you're doing to me?"

She moaned softly in response. Draco worked his lips down her neck and to her breasts. He latched onto one and sucked on it hungrily. Alana gasped and gazed down at him. She ran her hands through his hair. The feel of her fingers digging into his scalp only added to the heat. After awhile, he brought his lips back up to hers. Draco decided that he wanted to take her for the first time more forcefully. Suddenly without missing a single beat, he flipped Alana back onto her back. He sped up with each thrust, loving every moment of it. They were so close; both of them could feel it. It was amazing how their kisses went from roughly passionate to softly sensual. Draco's manhood seemed intent on pounding her into total submission and then, changed to just wanting to caress her lovingly inside. This was all so erotic and intoxicating, and neither of them wanted those feelings to end.

They bore into each other's eyes as they both came. Draco's whole body went stiff, and Alana clenched around him tightly, while he emptied himself inside her. The two moaned loudly before Draco's arms gave way, and he collapsed onto her body completely. Their chests were both heaving terribly as their bodies shook from weakness. They lay there like that for the longest time, too weak and breathless to move. Draco's head was buried in the crook of Alana's neck as he pulled out of her slowly. The furs were drenched in their sweat, but they were too absorbed in each other to notice. Draco rolled off of Alana and laid beside her, holding her trembling body as close as ever to his. She pulled one of the furs over them for warmth before nestling closer to Draco.

They both never wanted to separate and just wanted to stay like that for all eternity. Alana felt so tired and weak that she wasn't even sure if she could move at all. Her legs trembled when she just went to shift a little. Draco looked down at her with weary grey eyes. He palmed her cheek and gazed into her eyes before brushing his lips over hers. After a lingering kiss, they parted. He looked at her worriedly and asked, " I didn't cause you too much pain, did I?"

Her sapphire eyes stared up at him, full of weakness and contentment. She shook her head slowly in response.

" Mm. It was rough, but so worth it." She answered.

Draco smiled and kissed her forehead affectionately. When he looked back down at her, Alana's eyes were suddenly full of tears. They poured down her cheek as she cried silently. The tears made moist streaks down her face. Her sudden mood change confused him. Alana shook more in his arms as she continued to cry. He pulled her close, stroking her head and kissing her damp hairline as he did so.

" Alana," Draco whispered, worriedly, " oh, Alana, what's wrong? What's the matter?"

" I...I'm sorry. I just...can't stand it anymore! I can't stand not...not knowing!" She sobbed as Draco tried to wipe away her tears.

" Not knowing what?" He asked, anxiously, palming her cheek gently.

" Not knowing if...if you love me." Alana whispered, brokenly, looking up at him with her sparkling sapphire eyes.

Suddenly, it dawned on Draco.

" _Of course! How could I be so stupid?!_" He thought, angrily at himself.

Draco couldn't believe himself. He'd never felt this way before about anyone else in his life. All of the other girls...they had just been to sate his needs. But Alana...oh, Alana was different. She was special, so inexplainably special. He'd never actually said it too her, though. Draco had never once said how he trully felt about her. How could he? How could he not have told her yet? Did she think he was leading her on? Did she think he was using her like the others? This thought brought tears to his own eyes. Draco could never do any such thing to her. Didn't she know that?

Suddenly, Draco broke down. She would have no way of knowing because he never told her. He _never_ told her! Alana looked up at him; her eyes filling with concern at her crying boyfriend. She held his face in her soft, gentle hands and gazed deeply into his stormy gray eyes.

" Draco, what's the matter?" She asked. " Was it something I said?"

" Oh Alana, I'm sorry! Oh, I'm so sorry!" He whispered in a choked up voice. " I love you! I love you! I'm sorry it took me this long to say it, but I do! With all my heart and soul, I love you!"

" Oh, Draco..."

" I'm sorry." He murmured, over and over in her hair, kissing her lightly. " I'm sorry. I'm so sor..."

With that, Alana took his lips captive with her own. Draco was taken aback for just a brief second before falling into the kiss. For the longest time, they stayed locked in that kiss until Alana finally pulled away.

" I love you, too, Draco...most ardently! My heart aches when you're not by my side! I never want to be parted from you ever! You've made me whole again!" She murmured back.

" And you me. I never want to lose that feeling ever again. Alana, I need you so much. I want you to be bound to me and no one else. If you were ever taken away from me, I would most definitely die of a broke heart. Never leave me. Stay with me forever and for always." He pleaded, quietly.

" I'm yours for the taking, Draco Malfoy." She declared.

He kissed Alana again, letting her feel his need all in that one, simple kiss. She kissed him back fervently. It became frantic quickly, as if they were both afraid that the other was going to disappear. When they parted, he kissed away her salty tears lovingly. She now knew for certain that he loved her. Her heart felt like it was going to burst from all of this sudden passion. They both knew each other inside and out. Both of them knew about their misfortunes and sorrows; their joys and sources of happiness. It was a match made in heaven. Alana rested her head on his upper chest, and Draco pressed his cheek against her forehead.

" Promise me that you'll never let me go, Draco." She whispered.

Alana knew he wouldn't, not in a million years, but she needed to hear him say it. She needed to hear it come from his own mouth.

" I'm never going to let you go. With my life, I'll protect you, Alana. I'll never hurt you in any way, shape, or form. I promise on my very soul." He said, passionately.

With that said, she looked up, kissed him on the cheek, and fell into a much needed slumber. Draco whispered a spell, and the candles went out. He could hear rain splashing against the windows, but couldn't see it for they were covered with a thick condensation. Never before had he felt completeness as he did at that moment with Alana encased in his strong arms.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed it. Not much to say. Review please!**


	8. When Passion and Lust Collide

**A/N: I must really be feeling bad for not up-dating in so long. Well, here's the fourth chapter for tonight.**

Chapter 8

When Passion and Lust Collide

_Baby, the clock on the wall is lying_

_It's not really that late_

_It's too cold outside to be_

_Walkin' around the streets of this town_

_Anywhere if you think_

_You have to be, can wait_

_So why don't you stay with me_

_Share all your secrets tonight_

_We can make believe_

_The mornin' sun never will rise_

_Come and lay your head_

_On this big brass bed_

_And we'll be alright_

_As long as you stay with me_-

"Stay With Me(Brass Bed)"

Josh Gracin

Jezebel sat on Alana's bed as Alana changed into her bathing suit. It was a very warm Sunday, even for the end of April, so the group had decided to go swimming. Alana was humming the tune of the song _Start of Something New_ from the movie _High School Musical_ that she had playing on her sound system. Jezebel eyed her through the doorway suspiciously.

" What has you in such high spirits?" Her friend asked. " I have never seen you this cheerful before."

" Can't a girl be happy without being interrogated?" Alana remarked, defensively. " But then again, you ask questions about everything I do, so this isn't out of the ordinary."

" Don't get off of the subject. Now spill it, girl. What's up?" She asked walking over and leaning on the doorframe.

" Nothing is up, except the ceiling." She retorted with a smirk.

" Oh, you think you're really cute, don't you?" Jezebel replied, sarcastically.

" I don't need to think it. I get told that I'm way more than "cute" everyday." Alana said with a giggle. " Now, make yourself useful and help me with these strings. I can never get it just right."

Alana turned her back to Jezebel and pulled her hair out of the way. Her bikini top was white with yellowish-green and turquoise, Hawaiian flowers all over it. The top covered her breasts, but that was it, exposing her taunt, flat stomach. It had a brown oval-shaped ring in the middle where the strings were attached. Jezebel let out a frustrated sigh, but grabbed the strings and started to tie them.

" Do you want this double knotted?" She asked.

" You better, just incase Draco tries to get me topless." Alana answered.

" I wouldn't put it past him to try something like that." Jezebel smirked.

" Blaise would probably do the same to you if given the chance."

" Yeah, but I wouldn't be complaining."

" You're a real player, you know that?" Alana remarked.

" The best of the best." Jezebel replied, boastfully. " There! All set."

Alana threw her hair back over her shoulder before walking back into her room. She slipped on a turquoise, transparent, cover-up skirt with green, palm leaf designs on it over her turquoise bikini bottoms. Then, she walked over to her vanity and started to work on pulling her hair back. As Jezebel looked at Alana's reflection in the mirror, a look of shock passed over her face. Alana noticed and gave her a weird look.

" What are you gawking at?" She asked.

Jezebel's shocked look changed to her all-knowing smirk and she pointed a finger at her accusingly.

" I knew something was different about you!" She declared in a triumphant tone.

" What are you talking about, Sinclaire?" Alana spun around and put her hands on her hips.

" Your face is glowing. A girl's face only does this after she done one thing and one thing only." Jezebel explained.

" You're confusing me now; more than usual, too." She told her. " And trust me, that's a scary thing."

" You fucked Draco Malfoy!" Jezebel exclaimed.

Alana went pale in the face, but kept her defensive stance. She gave Jezebel a defiant look before saying, " I prefer the term "made love to" thank you very much."

" I knew it! I knew it! You have finally become a full fledged woman now, Alana!" Jezebel yelled, rushing over and giving Alana a bone-crushing hug. " Oh, I'm so proud of you! You've finally come out of your shell!"

" Jez...I still would like to be able to breathe if you don't mind." Alana gasped.

Jezebel let her go and held her out infront of her. She pretended to be all choked up and said, " My little girl is growing up."

" Draco's right. You're not just crazy. You're totally insane, Jezebel!" Alana said with a laugh. " Just you wait, someday...the men in white coats will come to take you to where you truly belong. You'll be with others who are just like you."

" They'll never get me. I'm too smart for them." Jezebel countered, jokingly. " Now when did this happen?"

" Thursday afternoon during Charms class." Alana answered, blushing slightly.

" I wondered where you two had gone to, but I had no idea that you two were shagging each other's brains out." She replied with a smirk.

" I love him, Jez." Alana blurted out.

" What?" Jezebel asked in shock.

" I love Draco, and he loves me. We both realized it afterward. Oh Jez, I've never met a guy who made me feel the way Draco does. I can tell that he loves me." She explained.

Jezebel smiled at her and put a hand on Alana's shoulder.

" I'm happy for both of you. No one could understand him the way you've managed to. He is really lucky to have found you, Alana." Jezebel said.

" Okay, enough of this gushy crap. Come on. We need to get going." Alana said, slipping on some flip-flops. " Everyone is probably wondering where we are."

They grabbed their towels and tote bags before leaving Alana's dorm. The girls met up with Cleo, Hannah, Ginny, and Hermione at the main entrance. Their boyfriends were all waiting down by the lake for them. Alana barely set her stuff down before Draco took her into his arms and started to snog her.

" They're magnets, I swear!" Ron yelled, exasperately.

Draco ended the kiss for a second to smirk at him before going back to his previous task. Alana ended it after a few minutes and pushed him away.

" Can you just let me get settled before you decide to tear my suit off or anything?" She complained with a giggle.

Everyone laughed and started to put on sunblock and stuff. Soon, they were all swimming and splashing each other in the lake. Hermione and Ron had gotten out after awhile and were now snogging each other passionately under one of the trees near the shore. Ginny was floating on her back in the water with Harry right next to her; their hands entwined. Cleo sat on the bank with her boyfriend, a Sixth year Ravenclaw named Ryan; his head in her lap. He let her start to play with his curly, dark brown hair fondly. The others were still locked in an endless water fight.

It was the boys against the girls, and the girls were failing miserably. Hannah shrunk back everytime someone splashed her. Alana was too preoccupied splashing water at Blaise to notice Draco swim up beside her. Just as she was turning around, he put both hands on top of her head and dunked her under! She flailed around under the murky water frantically. Her hands groped for something to pull herself up with and they finally locked onto his arms. After Draco took his hands off of her head, Alana came up sputtering. She wrapped her arms around Draco's neck and clung to him firmly. It looked like she was scared that if she let go, she'd drown. Draco held her body in his arms bridal style and laughed at the wide-eyed look on her face. Everyone else was laughing by now as she coughed up a little lake water. Once she was more composed, Alana glared at Draco furiously.

" Oh, you think you're so funny, don't you...you little prat?" She spat, indignantly.

" Yes, actually I do." He replied, flashing her that charming grin of his.

Alana smirked before flinging her whole body weight at him and knocking him back into the water. Then, she quickly got off of him and made a quick swim for the shore. Draco came up sputtering and gasping loudly. Alana laughed as she sloshed through the water. As soon as the water got to just her ankles, she felt herself come in contact with the wet sand from the result of someone dragging her down. She turned onto her back and saw Draco hovering over her. He straddled her hips and smirked down at her mischievously.

" You're trapped, Love. Do you surrender?" He asked.

" Never." Alana declared in a sexy whisper.

" Fine, then. Have it your way." He replied with a shrug.

Then, he started to tickle her mercilessly. Alana cried out in fits of laughter. Tears of mirth poured out of her eyes as she struggled to get out from under him. Unable to help himself, Draco started to laugh, too.

" Pl...please stop! I...I said...STOP!" Alana howled with laughter.

" Not until you surrender yourself to me." He responded.

" F...fine! I give! I...I surrender. Bloody h...hell just s...stop already!" She begged.

Draco smirked triumphantly before he stopped. Alana laid there breathlessly. He could see her breasts heaving through her flimsy bikini. Then, he laid down fully on top of her; his eyes boring into hers.

" You...you're so...insuf...insufferable." She panted out. " You...know...that?"

" I know, but that's just one of the many things that you love about me." He answered.

Water droplets fell onto her cheeks from his blonde locks. Their legs lay entwined in a heap. They were so close together that their faces were mere inches apart and their chests were pressed together tightly. Alana loved the way his hair fell into his eyes, especially when it was soking wet. It gave him the most natural look. She smiled up at him warmly as she tucked a strand behind his ear, but it just fell back into place again.

He returned the smile before closing the space between their lips. Alana closed her eyes and just allowed herself to get lost in the kiss. She draped her arms around Draco's neck gracefully. He worked his lips over hers slowly, for once not wanting to be roughly passionate. His mouth opened a little more, and he snuck his tongue into Alana's. She moaned when he massaged her tongue sensually.

They didn't care if the whole world had been watching. All that mattered was that they were together. After they ended the kiss, Alana pulled Draco up onto the grass and they laid down next to each other; hands and legs still locked together. No matter what they did together, they had to be touching, which is why their friends called them magnets. Alana turned over on her side and looked at Draco. He did the same and asked, " What is it, my love?"

" I love you. You know that?"

" Of course I know. I love you more, though." He said, teasingly.

" No, I love you more." She retorted.

" Noo, I love you more." He argued with a chuckle.

Alana lunged at him, and Draco caught her in his arms. They rolled a little to the right, but she still ended up on top. She smirked down at him. With her lips brushing over his, Alana replied, " I love you more, and that's final."

" Okay! Okay, you win." Draco answered.

" Good." She stated, before kissing him briefly.

She trailed her lips down his neck to his chest and shoulders. Her lips seemed to leave a burning impression that drove Draco nearly over the edge. He moaned as she continued her teasing. Her hand brushed over his covered manhood, which had swelled hugely in the past two minutes.

" Alana..." He moaned, pleadingly.

She looked up from her teasing and smirked down at him. He looked up at her pitifully. Alana knew that he couldn't take being aroused and then, be left hanging. His expression soon changed to his infamous Malfoy smirk.

" Now who is the bloody tease?" He asked.

" I don't know. Why don't you tell me?" She replied, leaning down to where her lips brushed up against his.

" You." He panted out.

" Only the best, my love." She said, sitting up so she was straddling his hips.

" I think I'm starting to rub off on you." Draco chuckled, placing his hands on her hips.

" That's not a bad thing, now is it?" She asked, faking a pout.

" I didn't say it was." He replied.

" Good." She answered, leaning down to kiss him.

" Hey, love birds!" Jezebel yelled, from under a tree where the rest of the group was setting up a picnic. " If you don't get over here, we're going to eat lunch without ya!"

Draco and Alana looked at each other and smiled.

" We can't let them do that, now can we?" He asked with a smirk.

" No, we can't."

With that, they both got up and walked hand in hand over to the others. Draco sat behind Alana with his arms wrapped protectively around her stomach. They all ate and talked together cheerily. The mood was very welcoming among the group. There was never a dull moment with them, that was for certain. After lunch, they swam a little while longer before packing up and going back into the castle. Draco took Alana down to his dorm where they dried themselves off. He was dressing in the bathroom, while Alana was in his room, putting on the dry clothes she had been smart enough to pack.

" So, what do you want to do tonight?" He called from the bathroom.

" Oh, I have a little something in mind." Alana replied as she dropped down onto his bed.

" And what would that be, Love?" He asked, leaning on the doorway as he buttoned up his black shirt.

" I still haven't used that day of getting you to do whatever I want yet. Might as well put it to good use tonight." She answered, a little mischievous smile on her face.

" Well, this will be interesting." He replied with a smirk, raising a suggestive eyebrow. " What do you have planned?"

" You'll just have to find out for yourself. Just come to the Ravenclaw Common Room at seven sharp. You might want to bring extra clothes, too; just incase I don't let you leave." She explained, walking up to him, swaying her hips seductively.

" Whatever happened to the quiet and innocent Alana that I used to know?" He asked as she draped her arms around his neck.

" She found someone who could release the _true_ her." Alana answered, brushing her lips over his. " Now, remember...seven o' clock. Don't be late or you'll be in big trouble."

" Will I get punished?" He asked, his smirk still intact.

" Yes, but not in a good way." She answered with a laugh.

Alana gave him one more kiss before getting her stuff and leaving his room. Later that night, Draco made his way towards the Ravenclaw Common Room. He'd put on a nice shirt, not really knowing what Alana had in mind, but figuring eventually the clothes were going to come off. It was black with silver and white stripes going down it. He had it unbuttoned to the third one, showing off his toned chest. The shirt was left untucked from his black slacks. When he got to the portrait, he knocked and waited for someone to answer. Fifteen seconds later, Cleo opened the portrait and smirked at him.

" Aw, right on time. Alana is waiting for you in her dorm." Cleo explained. " Come with me."

Draco followed her into the Common Room. It was a lot more cheerful-looking than the Slytherin Common Room. Cleo led him up a set of stair leading to the girls' dormitories, but instead of turning right, they stopped infront of a door on the left. The bronze, name plate had _Alana Kaligaris _in silver script. She smirked at him one more time before going back down to the Common Room. Draco knocked on the door three times before a voice from inside said, " It's open!"

Draco turned the nob and stepped into the room. This was the first time he'd ever seen Alana's dorm before. The room was a lot bigger than it appeared from the outside. The ceiling was fairly high with long, rectangular windows that had transparent blue and violet drapes pulled over them. Alana's bed was the main focal point of the room. It was a huge king-sized, four poster bed. The comforter was a deep ocean blue that faded to blueish-purple when you moved from one spot to another with silver starbursts scattered over it. A ton of pillows lay up against the mahogany headboard. Blue bed hangings draped down from the posters with a violet canopy over the top. Over in the corner to his left was her mahogany vanity with various jewlery boxes and stuff on it. A mahogany cabinet was up against the wall near the door. A blue chaise lounge was over in the corner near her bed. A stack of books lay beside it with one laying open on the seat. In the right hand corner near the chaise was a mahogany desk, which had been left totally neat and tidy, just like the rest of her room.

To his right was the door to her bathroom, which she was in right now. Near the bathroom door was a self with a silver-colored sound system on it. The creme colored carpet was very soft under his feet. Above, the ceiling had been bewitched to look like the night sky on a clear, full moon night. Alana's room was more warm and inviting than his; that was for sure. When he looked around again, Draco saw some of her art work up around the room.

" So, what do you think of my room?" Alana asked from the bathroom.

" It sure beats the hell out of mine. I wish mine was more like this and not so gloomy." Draco answered, walking over to her desk.

" Well, that's what happens when you get landed in Slytherin." She replied with a laugh.

Draco picked up a picture of Alana and her family. It was a family portrait he guessed. Her father standing beside her mother, who was situated comfortably in a nice chair with a red, velvet cushion. Her older sister, Mia, stood infront of her father with his hand on her shoulder. She was only a few inches shorter than him. Then, Alana stood next to her mother with one hand on the chair and the other holding her mother's. They all smiled up at him cheerfully. Alana looked more like her father than her mother. She had her father's brown hair, nose, and eye shape. Though, she did have the same delicate features and eye color as her mother. Her sister shared her mother's golden blonde hair, but had her father's warm, cocoa brown eyes. Alana came out of the bathroom and smiled at him looking at the picture.

" That was taken last summer. We have a family picture every summer. That one is my favorite so far." She said, walking up to him.

" I see where you get your good looks from now." Draco replied, putting it back down gently.

" Yeah, we are a good looking bunch, aren't we?" She laughed as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

" You look very nice tonight." He told her, taking in her black cami and dark navy, flare jeans.

The cami had midnight blue lace on the neckline and rim of the shirt with magenta pink sequins sewn into the lace. It's neckline was in a low v-dip that, from Draco's point of view, allowed him to see her glorious cleavage. Her hair was left to cascade down her back and shoulders in soft, silky waves. Around her neck was a sapphire star on a thin, silver chain. Long, silver dangly earrings with sparkly blue stars hung gracefully from her ears. Alana's make-up had been done to perfection as well. Draco smirked when he took in the scent of her perfume. She was wearing his favorite again.

" So, what are you going to have me do for you tonight, my love?" He asked, softly.

" Well, first...I'm going to have you sit down and be forced to watch chic flics with me. Then, I might have you massage my shoulders." She said, looking at him devilishly. " And if you're good, you'll get a reward."

" What movies are we watching? And to clear things up, how did you get a video machine in here?" Draco asked, curiously.

" Same way as how I got my sound system in. Dumbledore had someone set it up. An insomniac needs some form of entertainment during the night." Alana explained. " Now, do as I say and go sit down on my bed."

" Right away, Mistress." He joked, walking over to her bed.

Alana couldn't help, but stare at his sexy stride. He had the best ass she'd ever seen on a guy. Draco flopped down on her bed and stretched out elegantly. Alana walked over to the mahogany cabinet and opened up the doors. Inside was a huge flatscreen with a built in DVD player on the side. It was hooked up to sound speakers, too.

" I never really understood why wizards and witches even mess with muggle contraptions." Draco stated as she turned the TV on.

" Oh, my grandfather, though coming from the long line of purebloods that he did, was totally fastinated with muggle invenstions, such as radios and early television sets. He influenced my dad, too. Well, naturally being the "daddy's girl" that I am, I'm carrying on the legacy. The muggles come up with some pretty cool stuff. I have an iPod, too. I love listening to music while I run and do my artwork." Alana explained.

" I have to confess. I have an iPod myself. Sorry, but Malfoy Manor can be very dull during the summer." He confessed, watching as she slipped in a DVD disk.

Then, Alana took the remote and ran at the bed. She dove in next to Draco, who managed to catch her partcially in his arms. She giggled a little before making herself comfortable and pressing the play botton. Draco had never seen _High School Musical_ before, but thought that it was a pretty good movie. The music and choreography was excellent. Alana murmured most of the songs, until Draco told her to actually let him hear her voice. She was almost better than the girl who played Gabriella and could have been her double. Then, half way into the second movie, which was _The Count of Monte Cristo_, Alana had him massage her shoulders.

" Why are you so tense?" He asked.

" Too much school work. Blame the professors. You know they're getting us ready for our NEWTs." She moaned, her head lulling from pleasure as he worked his fingers fluidly over her back and shoulders.

" How am I doing?" He asked with a smirk.

" Mmmm...wonderful. Keep going." Alana pleaded as he pressed on her more firmly.

After that movie was over, Alana turned the TV off and merely laid on her bed with Draco; their legs entwined together along with their hands. They stared into each other's eyes deeply; their smiles never fading.

" I love you so much, Alana." Draco murmured, simply.

" I love you, too, Draco. I don't know what I'd do without you with me." She replied.

" Me either. You'd probably be a hopeless case." He retorted, jokingly.

" Hey! Be nice! This night is still not over, and you still have to do as I say." She warned, trying to hide her laughter.

" Well...then, what do you suggest we do?" Draco asked, raising an eyebrow.

" I don't know. I kinda just like this." She said, nestling her head under his chin.

" So do I." He agreed, pulling her closer to him.

That's when Draco remembered something. He sat up quickly and started going through his pockets.

" Draco, what are you doing?" Alana asked, looking at him in confusion and a little upset that he had ruined her comfortable position.

" I have something for you and if I can find the little bugger...aw ha! here it is!" He explained, pulling out a little, neatly wrapped package.

He gave it to her, and Alana looked at it curiously. Then, she looked up at him with her sapphire eyes as if asking for his permission.

" Well, open it already!" He chuckled.

Alana smirked and tore open the package. When she threw the paper away, a little, black, velvet box lay in the palm of her hand. A hand flew to her mouth, and she looked up at Draco in shock. He smiled at her before taking the box and opening it up for her. Inside the satin lining was a silver ring with a square-cut sapphire outlined in tiny diamonds. Tears started to swell up in her eyes. She was left almost entirely speechless.

" Oh my God...Draco..."

" I got this at the Hogsmeade trip yesterday." He explained, taking it out of the box.

" It's...it's beautiful. Thank you, Draco, but..." Alana started.

" What? You don't like it?" He asked, starting to think that it was a bad gift.

" No, no, no! I love it, it's just that...don't you think we're a little young for this?" She asked, quietly.

Draco started to laugh at what she thought he was doing with the ring.

" No, Love, I'm not proposing to you. This is a promise ring." Draco explained with a chuckle, taking her left hand and slipping it on her ring finger. " It means that you'll be mine no matter what and _maybe_ someday, we'll get married."

" Oh, I see." Alana replied, studying the ring before smiling gratefully at him. " Thank you so much, Draco. It's truly the most beautiful present I've ever gotten."

" It was nothing." He insisted, shrugging it off.

" _Nothing? Ha, that ring cost you more money than you've ever spent on a present in your entire life!_" The voice of his father told him.

Draco ignored the voice the best he could. Alana moved closer to Draco and embraced him warmly. He held her in his arms, loving the warm feeling it filled him with. When they parted, Alana kissed him briefly on the lips before getting off of the bed and walking to her vanity. She took off her necklace and slipped the star pendant off of the chain, replacing it with the ring. After fastening it back on, she turned to Draco and fingered it fondly.

" There! Now, I can wear it close to my heart where it belongs." She told him.

" Perfect." He replied as she climbed back onto the bed.

Alana got a little gleam in her eyes, and before he knew it, Draco found himself on his back with her on top of him. She smirked down at him, which he returned as his arms snaked their way around her waist.

" Kiss me." She whispered, seductively.

" Your wish is my command." Draco replied, before closing the space between their lips.

Their kiss became intense immediately. Alana ran her hands through his hair, moaning as his tongue caressed hers. Draco's hand ran up and down her back before resting on the nape of her neck. His fingers entwined themselves in the strands of her hair at the back of her neck. He kicked his shoes off without even thinking about it, and they landed with a small _thunk_ on the floor. Alana started to writhe with desire and need. This was becoming a very heated snogging sesson. She pulled away from him, panting heavily. He looked up at her with lust-drunken eyes with his infamous smirk still intact.

" Do you want to...take...a shower...with me?" She asked, breathlessly.

" Sure." He answered.

Alana pulled him up from her bed and led him into the bathroom. It was just like the rest of her dorm; warm and inviting. The tiles were made out of gray marble, and the counters were granite. The walls were painted a light ocean blue with lantern-like lights up on them that gave the room a warm glow. She shut the door behind them, and Draco pinned her body up against it, pressing his forehead to hers. His gray eyes bore into hers as he took the straps to her cami in each hand. Fluidly, he slipped them off of her shoulders; her creamy skin brushing against his hands. The cami slid down her body to the floor, leaving her in a black, lacy bra. She kicked the top away from her feet and pulled Draco in for another lustful kiss as her fingers worked on the buttons to his shirt.

Soon, it joined hers on the floor, and Alana ran her hands over his chest, fingering his toned muscles. His emerald green boxers showed because his slacks were so low. Then, she felt his fingers working on getting her jeans undone. They slipped off of her easily, too. Alana tugged open his belt and pushed his slacks down as well. Now, they were both only in their underwear. She pulled away and smirked at him as she reached behind herself. With little effort, Alana unclasped her bra and let it fall to the floor.

Draco's eyes darkened even more as he took a step towards her. Alana reached for his hand and placed it on her stomach. Slowly, she worked it upwards towards her breast. He gave it a gentle squeeze when her nipple brushed over his palm. To add more insult to injury, Alana pulled away again, wagging a finger at him.

" Now, now, now," She warned, " we're still under my rules."

Alana reached down and picked up her wand, muttering the birth control spell under her breath before casting it away. With that, she walked over to her shower, opened the glass door, and turned it on. Then, she slipped her black, lacy thong off and stepped in, swaying her hips as she did so. Draco gulped as all the heat in his body rushed to his groin. Quickly, he shed his boxers and stepped into the shower with her. He watched as the water ran over her totally nude body. Her nipples had become hard and pointy by now, which Draco recognized as part of her arousal. He walked closer to her, reaching out to touch her, but Alana turned her back on him. She pushed her hair out of her way, letting it lay lankly down her back. Then, she felt his hands on her waist, and he pulled her forcefully to him. A gasp escaped from her mouth when she felt his arousal digging into her back.

" Playing hard to get, are we?" He whispered into her ear, huskily.

Suddenly, he spun her around and pressed her up against the shower wall with his body. Draco held her wrists above her head so she couldn't move. Alana smirked back at him as he rested his forehead against hers.

" Well...I can play that, too." Draco hissed.

Alana was about to ask him what he meant, but then, Draco ground into her hard. Alana whimpered pitifully as he did this over and over again. He watched the expression on her face, still smirking down at her terribly. One of his hands released her wrists and traveled down to her entrance, starting to rub her core hard. Alana's body arched out into his as she continued to moan even louder.

" Oh gods...Dracooooo!!!!!!!"

" Do you surrender?" He asked, seductively.

" Yeeeeees!!!!!!!" She screamed.

He released her wrists and rested both of his hands on her ass. Then swiftly, he pulled her up to where she could wrapped her legs around his waist. That's when he plunged into her. The hot water only proceeded to heat things up. Draco's moans were soon mixed in with Alana's. Her nails dug into his back, but that only turned him on more. Their foreheads remained locked as Draco pumped in and out of her furiously. Her back rubbed up against the shower's slick wall. She smiled breathlessly at him, which he returned before claiming her lips in a feverish kiss. One of Draco's hands braced the wall to balance them both better. Before long, they both climaxed together and slowly sunk to the shower floor. Draco lay on top of her, feeling her chest heave against his. He kissed her warmly before smiling down at her.

" You're good." She breathed.

" Told ya...I could play...hard to...get...too." He boasted.

" Mhmm...you sure can."

After staying like that for awhile to regain their strength, the two finally got out of the shower and went back into Alana's room. She pulled out a pair of pj's from her dresser next to her vanity as Draco put his boxers back on again. Alana slipped on a purple tank top with Indian designs all over the front in different colors along with a pair of purple pants. Then, they both turned down her bed and climbed in together. Alana flicked her wand at the lights, turning them off before settling in next to Draco.

He smiled at her in the moonlight, pulling her smotheringly close to him. Alana returned his smiled and kissed him softly. Their lips lingered together for awhile before separating. Alana laid her head up against Draco's chest and entwined her hands with his. Draco rested his chin on top of her forehead as their legs became tangled together as well.

" Good night, Draco." Alana murmured, sleepily, giving into her exhaustion.

" Sweet dreams, my Alana." He whispered, kissing her forehead before falling asleep as well.

**A/N: Hope you liked it. This was pretty much just a little fluff. It was a little slow to write. Well, review please.**


	9. Problems in Paradise

**A/N: Okay, I really don't have a life anymore. I might just finish this story tonight. You all would probably like that. Well, here's another chapter. Here comes the actually plot of the story. Things are going to get a little rough for Draco and Alana. Well, Readers, do what you do best!**

Chapter 9

Problems in Paradise

_Life ain't always beautiful_

_Sometimes it's just plain hard_

_Well, life can knock you down_

_It can break your heart_

_Life ain't always beautiful_

_You think you're on your way_

_And it's just a dead end road_

_At the end of the day_

_But the struggles make you stronger_

_And the changes make you wise_

_And happiness has its own way_

_Of taking it's sweet time_

_No, life ain't always beautiful_

_Tears will fall sometimes_

_Life ain't always beautiful_

_But it's a beautiful ride_-

"Live Ain't Always Beautiful"

Gary Allen

Draco and Alana were walking to History of Magic together when they saw the one person that could always spoil a perfectly good day; Pansy. She was walking right towards them with Millicent. Pansy smiled at Draco what might have once been a sweet smile, but looked down her nose at Alana.

" Hi, Draco." She said in her usual syrupy way.

" What do you want, Parkinson?" He drawled, tightening his grip on Alana's waist.

" I was just wondering if you're getting bored of Lil Miss Perfect here yet, that's all." She said, innocently.

" Pansy, really, get over it already and move on. Draco likes me now, not you." Alana interrupted, irritatedly. " Now, can you move along. _We_ have a class to get to."

" I can't believe how low you've sunk, Draco. You went from dating the most desired girl in the school," Millicent retorted, looking appraisingly at Pansy to glaring down at Alana, " to sleeping with blood traitors."

" Alana is not a blood traitor! If anyone is, it's the scum bags who devote themselves to the Dark Lord." Draco hissed. " And you got it wrong. I _am_ dating the most desired girl in school. I've out grown sluts and skanks."

Pansy was nearly fuming now. Her cheeks were turning bright red. She pointed a finger at him and said in a dangerously low voice, " Do you honestly think that your father will let you marry that worthless piece of magic? Hmm, do you?"

" Pansy, first of all, my father can go to hell for all I care. I'm sick of having to kiss his ass. I've done that for the past sixteen years of my life and I'm through. Second, if anyone is a waste of magical talent, it's you. Alana is twice the woman you will ever be." Draco snarled, viciously. " Now, get out of our way before you make me even angrier."

Pansy stuck her head up high in the air and stared down at him venomously.

" Fine, Malfoy. If that's the way you feel, I'll leave, but know this. You will come to regret this day later on. Trust me...you will." She swore before her and Millicent walked away.

Alana looked up at Draco worriedly. His face was stony and cold, and his eyes had lost all of their laughter. She didn't like seeing him like this at all. It reminded her of what he used to look like before they had found each other.

" Draco?" She asked, nervously. " Draco, are you okay?"

Draco looked down at her, and his eyes softened instantly. He left out a sigh and nodded.

" Yeah, I'll be fine. She just pisses me off is all. Come on, we better get to class before we're late." He said as they started off again.  
That was only the first of many spats they had with Pansy that week. One day, Pansy and a group of Sixth year Slytherin girls ganged up on Alana in the dungeons. She would probably have been severely hurt if Jezebel and Blaise hadn't showed up. Draco learned about it and insisted that she have someone with her at all times. He just didn't want her to get hurt. On a cloudy Saturday in April, the Quidditch Cup match took place against Gryffindor and Slytherin. Alana walked down to the pitch; her hand laced together with Draco's. When they got to the door to the Slytherin locker rooms, Draco wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her.

" You're going with me to the victory party, aren't you?" He asked.

" Draco, the match hasn't even taken place yet. How do you know for sure that Slytherin will win?" Alana replied, raising an eyebrow.

" Because this year I have you cheering me on. That will give me enough insentive to push the team." Draco answered with a smirk.

" Well, in that case, yes. I would be honored to go to the victory party with you." She replied, before kissing him.

They were really getting into it when Nott walked by Draco and slapped him on the back.

" Come on, Captain! We have a game to win and we can't do that if you're busy snogging your girlfriend's lips off!" He yelled, going into the locker rooms.

" You heard him. Get in there, Mr. Malfoy, and catch that snitch for me." Alana told him, pushing him towards the doors.

" When I do, I'll fly up to where your sitting and give it to you myself." He responded, bowing with a flourish.

Alana giggled and started up to the stands. Jezebel and Blaise were waiting for her. Well, really...they were snogging each other senseless when she arrived.

" Okay, okay, you two break it up! No one wants to see this!" She exclaimed, covering her eyes.

Jezebel and Blaise smirked at her when they separated.

" Well, now you know how we feel when you're doing something like this with Draco." Blaise commented.

Just then, Crabbe and Goyle showed up. Alana raised an eyebrow. She inched closer to Blaise and whispered while still keeping her eyes focused on the two, " Did you invite the goon squad here to sit with us?"

" Don't lay this one on me. If you want to blame someone, blame Draco. He wanted you to have protection, just incase if something were to happen today." Blaise answered in a low voice.

She rolled her eyes and said, " Oh honestly! He is taking this way too far. I can protect myself."

Crabbe and Goyle just looked at her stupidly. One swatted a fly away from himself, but otherwise they didn't move.

" I think they got dropped on their heads too many times when they were infants." Alana murmured to Jezebel.

" I've been telling people this from day one." She replied.

" Fine, well, come on you two." Alana ordered, starting up the stairs.

The good thing about Crabbe and Goyle was that they managed to push some First years out of their seats in one of the front rows. Jezebel sat in between Alana and Blaise. The two "bodyguards" sat behind them. Everyone in the second row shrunk away from them. Just then, the Gryffindor team was announced. They came striding out, brooms in hand, waving to their fans. Unfortunately, Alana was sitting by a lot of Slytherins, so basically all she heard were "boos" and hisses. Harry and Ginny found her and they both winked slightly. Alana waved to them quickly, trying not to be too noticeable. Shortly afterward, the Slytherin team was announced as well. The team came out all behind Draco, who as usual was the center of attention.

He strode onto the pitch with his cocky, confident smirk on his face. When he saw Alana, Draco blew her a kiss before winking devilishly. Jezebel noticed and jabbed her playfully, while waggling her eyebrow. Alana giggled and gave her a shove. Madame Hooch stepped out onto the field. She pointed her wand at her throat to amplify her voice.

" Now, let's keep this a nice, _clean_ game. Captains...shake hands." She instructed.

Harry and Draco walked up to each other. They grasped hands firmly and bore into each other's eyes.

" Good luck, Malfoy. You're going to need it." Harry said, challengingly.

" Thank you, Potter. But, I won't need luck. I'm going to win this game for my girl. That alone is enough to beat you." Draco answered, smirking terribly.

" Okay, mount your brooms and wait for my signal." Madame Hooch ordered.

She walked over to the supply trunk and gave it a good, firm kick. It popped open, and the bludgers came out, followed by the snitch. Then, she took out the quaffle and put it under her arm. With her wand she shot a white flare into the air, and both teams kicked off of the ground, going up into the air. Madame Hooch threw up the quaffle, and the game began. It was the usual mess during the beginning. Both teams of course were constantly fighting over the quaffle. Bludgers flew this way and that, trying to hit the players. The sun was blocked out by the heavy storm clouds that were rolling in, but no one seemed to notice.

Alana was watching Draco speed after the snitch with Harry not very far behind him. Rain started coming down about half way into the game. Slytherin was ahead by twenty points, but they still needed that snitch. Draco followed it up into the clouds. He had lost Harry by now. The possibility of being struck by lightning didn't even phase him. Draco was too preoccupied on getting the snitch and winning the game for Alana. It was almost in his grasp when he saw someone flying towards him. Thinking it was Harry, Draco sped up to catch the snitch. Suddenly, it disappeared into thin air like it does on odd occations. When he looked at the other person, Draco noticed that they were wearing a long, black cloak with their hood pulled up, not the gold and red robes of the Gryffindor team. This was definitely not a Quidditch player.

" Who the hell..."

That's when the person pulled out their wand and threw a hex at him. When it made contact, Draco felt his body go numb and everything went black. He slumped to the right and he fell off his broom! Alana heard gasps around her before she actually saw Draco falling from the sky. She stood up and couldn't believe her eyes. A shrill scream escaped from her lips.

" Dracooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

From the teachers box, Dumbledore stood up and pointed his wand at him.

" _Excioto Mentas!_" He thundered.

Draco's body slowed down on falling, but it was too close to the ground to do very much help. He landed hard when he finally hit the ground. Without a second thought, Alana made her way down from the stands. She sprinted out onto the field where the Slytherin team was circled around him. Jezebel, Blaise, Goyle, and Crabbe were right behind her.

" Hey! Move!" She shouted, pushing her way though the Quidditch team. " Get out of my way before I make you!"

Alana saw Draco laying on his side, unmoving. She kneeled by his body and brought his head into her lap.

" Draco! Draco, please, speak to me!" She pleaded, helplessly. " Are you okay?!"

He didn't answer her. It was clear that he was deeply unconscious. His face was so pale, even more than usual. Thankfully, she could see that he was still breathing. The professors started to come through the crowd of people just then. Snape actually showed emotion on his face. At the moment, he looked terrified.

" I'll take him up to the Hospital Wing." He said in a quiet voice.

Alana was reluctant to give Draco over at first, but finally Jezebel and Blaise managed to make her let him go. Jezebel held her as she cried. She watched helplessly as the professors walked swiftly up the grounds towards the castle. Then, she looked around at the Slytherin team and yelled, " What happened? Answer me, God damnit!"

" We're not sure. One minute, Malfoy was after the snitch and the next, he was falling from the sky." Nott answered, looking actually scared of the Ravenclaw.

" Some team. Can't even keep track of its players." Alana spat, shaking herself free of Jezebel's grasp. " I don't even know why I'm even bothering to waste my time with you fools."

" Alana, wait up!" Jezebel yelled, running after her with Blaise in tow.

It seemed like forever before they reached the Hospital Wing. When they did, Professors Dumbledore and Snape were outside the door, talking to Madame Pomfrey in hushed voices. At first, they didn't even seem to notice them. Then, Alana cleared her throat irritatedly, and the professors turned to them.

" Aw, Miss Kaligaris," Snape said, coldly, " I was wondering when you were going to grace us with your presence."

" I was talking with your poor excuse of a Quidditch team. Sorry that I'm late." She said, through her teeth before regaining her composer. " Madame Pomfrey, is he alright?"

" Well...Mr. Malfoy broke his right arm in two places from the fall and he suffered a minor concussion, but otherwise he'll live." She answered with a weak smile.

Relief flooded over Alana at the news.

" May I see him?" She asked, hopefully.

" Sure, Dear." Madame Pomprey replied, opening the door and allowing the group inside before shutting it after them.

Alana looked around the room, having never been to the Hospital Wing before. There was a straight line of beds along the two, vertical walls. Next to each of the beds was a night stand, a curtain for privacy, and a chair incase if the patient had visitors. Then, her eyes rested upon the bed Draco was resting in. His Quidditch robe had been taken off and laid on the chair along with his boots. Alana moved these so she could sit in the chair. She noticed that his right arm was all bandaged up and put in a sling. He appeared to be sleeping peacefully, but his face was still so pale. She reached out and touched his cheek gently. Tears began to fill her eyes again. Her hand traveled down his neck to his chest.

Unable to contain it, a sob escaped from her mouth. She put her head down on the bed with one arm wrapped around it and the other clutching the sheets on Draco's chest. Jezebel put a hand on her shoulder and tried to comfort her. Blaise just stood there quietly, looking at her with sympathy.

" Alana, he's going to be okay. Please, stop crying." Jezebel begged.

Alana didn't seemed to have heard her. She just kept crying. Of course she knew he was going to be okay. It was the fact that he'd gotten hurt in the first place that scared her. And now, seeing him in that bed just made her even more upset. Draco always seemed so strong, so indestructable to her, but this incident made her realize that he wasn't. He was just as vonerable as she was. Then, she felt another hand start to caress her head. Alana recognized that touch immediately. Her cries stopped suddenly, and she looked up into a pair of stormy gray eyes.

" Hey! How are you feeling?" She asked, hoarsely.

" Well, except for the fact that it feels like I've been hit over the head with a bludger bat and my arm feels like it's on fire, I've never been better." Draco answered, quietly, still looking tired. " Love, please don't cry. It tears me up inside when you do."

With that, he wiped away her tears as Alana smiled at him. He returned it and settled back down into his bed.

" We should let you get your rest." She said, getting to her feet.

" No, stay." He objected, grabbing her hand. " I'm wide awake anyway. You might as well stay and entertain me, so I don't get bored."

" Fine. What does the almighty Slytherin Prince want us to do for him?" Jezebel asked, bowing with a flourish.

" Ha, ha, ha, very funny, Sinclaire." Draco laughed, sarcastically. " Just stay and talk to me. Sinclaire, you and Zabini both know that staying in here with nothing to do can kill you with boredom."

" Yeah well, at least you didn't have to stay in here for a month because your best friend wanted to try out a new spell that she learned over the summer on you." Blaise muttered, glancing over at Jezebel.

" I said I was sorry!" She exclaimed, wrapping her arms around one of his. " Besides, the green worts went away. If they hadn't, I wouldn't be dating the handsomest guy in school."

" You mean second." Alana put in as Draco tugged her down to sit on the edge of his bed.

" Hey, we could argue about this all day, but I'd rather not." Jezebel replied.

" Yeah, anyway...who won the match?" Draco asked.

" You're up here, laying in a hospital bed and you're wondering who won the Quidditch match today?" Alana responded, looking at him funny.

" Yep, that pretty much sums it up." He answered, smirking up at her.

" The match has been re-scheduled. It wasn't fair that one of the Seekers got knocked out by something outside of the game. I think they're scheduling it for three weeks from now." Blaise told him.

" Good. Hopefully I'll be all healed by then." Draco said as he held Alana's hand in his free one.

Then, Dumbledore, Snape, and Madame Pomfrey all came in. Draco sat up a little when he saw them.

" I'm glad to see that you're up Mr. Malfoy." Dumbledore said with a smile. " I'm sure your team will be happy to know that you're doing okay."

" They probably didn't even care that he got hurt in the first place." Draco heard Alana mutter under her breath.

He tightened his grip on her hand to calm her down. Alana turned her attention back to Madame Pomfrey.

" What exactly happened to him?" She asked.

" When I examined him, there was a strong dark magic aura coming from him. I'm guessing that he got cursed during the match." Madame Pomfrey explained, solemnly.

" Mr. Malfoy, can you remember anything at all about what happened to you?" Dumbledore asked.

" The last thing I remember is being up in the clouds when I lost sight of the snitch. Then, someone dressed in black robes appeared, and everything went black." Draco replied.

" Did you see their face?" Snape asked, his expression showed worry.

" No, they had their hood up."

The professors gathered together and started whispering to each other quietly. The four teenagers just stared at them out of confussion and curiosity. When they turned around to face them, Dumbledore gave them all a smile, but his eyes showed hints of uncertainty and worry.

" Well, if that's all you can remember, I suppose we'll leave you to get some rest. Professor Snape, come with me. I'll see the rest of you at dinner." He said, before turning around and walking out of the room with Snape.

" Now, you three, I want you to leave. Mr. Malfoy will see you all at dinner as well. Right now...he needs his rest." Madame Pomfrey said, ushering Blaise and Jezebel from the room.

Alana looked back down at Draco and smiled. He reached up and caressed her cheek lovingly.

" I'll see you at dinner, my love." She murmured.

Just then, Draco hand traveled down her neck and caught hold of something. He pulled on the silver chain around her neck and revealed the promise ring he'd given to her. It shined in the sunlight coming from the windows in the room. Draco smiled up at her and said, " I see you're still wearing this thing."

" I never take it off." She whispered.

He smirked and pulled a little harder on the chain, getting her to lean down. Their lips were mere inches apart.

" Kiss me." He whispered, huskily.

" You're wish is my command." She breathed, closing her eyes, their lips brushing together.

" Miss Kaligaris!" Madame Pomfrey called.

Alana pulled away slightly; her cheeks flushed, and Draco frowned in disappointment. She looked down at him with clouded eyes and licked her lips.

" I'll see you tonight." She said, quietly, kissing him briefly before getting up.

" Can't wait." He answered, still smirking.

Alana blew him a kiss before leaving the room. Draco rested his head back on the pillow and shut his eyes. He might as well get some sleep before that night. But, his sleep wasn't peaceful. Instead it was haunted by a mysterious cloaked figure and whispers of a disaster soon to come.

**A/N: Ooo, freaky, right? I know, not really but still I gave you somewhat of a cliff hanger. The nest chapter is better, I promise. Review please! I'm begging you guys to review!**


	10. Breaking Hearts

**A/N: Here's the tenth chapter. Prepare yourselves. This will be hard for some of you.**

Chapter 10

Breaking Hearts

_I can take the rain on the roof_

_Of this empty house_

_That don't bother me_

_I can take a few tears_

_Now and then and just let em out_

_I'm not afraid to cry_

_Every once in awhile_

_Even though goin' on_

_With you gone_

_Still upsets me_

_There are days every now and again_

_I pretend I'm okay_

_But that's not what gets me_

_What hurts the most_

_Was bein' so close_

_And havin' so much to say_

_And watchin' you walk away_

_And never knowin' what coulda been_

_And not seein' that lovin' you_

_Is what I was tryin' to do_-

"What Hurts The Most"

Rascal Flatts

After going to the Hospital Wing for about two weeks to have treatments done on his arm, Draco finally got the bandages and sling off of it. He still had a full week left before the re-scheduled match between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Alana was a little more wary of what he did, trying to make sure that he didn't get hurt again. The incident had really scared the shit out of her, and she didn't want anymore heart attacks like that again. The parties brightened the mood as well as the latest school announcement. There was supposed to be an End of Year Ball the night before school was let out. Since they'd been given permission to already, Alana and the girls went into Hogsmeade to pick out dresses for the Ball.

They walked into the dress shop, chatting together about what they were looking for. Alana was looking through the latest fashions rack, trying to find the perfect dress. It had to be perfect for that night because it would be the last night she'd be together with Draco for a long time.

" Hey, Alana, what do you think?" Jezebel asked, coming out of a nearby dressing room.

Alana turned to her and surveyed the dress she had on crytically. It was a very "interesting" dress. The bodice had rose and leaf designs with pink, green, and diamond rhinestones all over them, but otherwise that was the _only_ thing on it. It was basically made out a transparent material. Alana could see that it hugged Jezebel closely in all of the right places, bringing even more attention to her breasts than usual. The sweeping skirt was made out of jade green satin. It would trail behind her a little when she walked. Jezebel smiled at her innocently and twirled around like a little girl.

" It's a little..._revealing_, isn't it?" Alana asked, raising a suggestive eyebrow.

" That's the point." Jezebel answered, turning to look at herself from behind in a full-length mirror. " I want to make a big statement at this ball."

" You'll definitely make a statement alright." Alana muttered under her breath.

" Do you like it or not?" Jezebel asked, sounding a little irritated as she turned and put her hands on her hips.

" I _do_ like it on you." Alana said, giving her a smile. " I'm sorry, it's just not my kind of dress. I'm certain that Blaise will find you irresistable when he sees you in it."

" He already does, even without the dress." She answered with a smirk. " Have you found anything yet?"

" No, not really. I can't find anything I like in my colors." Alana replied, going through the rack again.

" Let me get this off, and I'll help you." Jezebel said, going back into the dressing room.

" No thanks. I'm perfectly capable of finding a dress on my own." She answered, quickly.

" Hmph! No one appreciates me anymore." She whined as she shut the door.

" Whatever, Jez." Alana laughed.

It seemed like everyone had found a dress, but Alana. Hannah had found a short pink, strapless one with sequins and rhinestones all over the bodice. Pink satin was gathered around the waist with a pale pink rose that had a fake diamond in the middle. The skirt was made up of several layers of pink and white, transparent material that went down to her kneecaps. Along with the dress came a pink scarf to tie around her neck.

Cleo's dress was the same length as Hannah's only it was a dark purplish-maroon color. It had thin spaghetti straps, and a bodice that hugged close to her chest. The material was the shimmery kind that faded from lighter to darker, depending on how the light caught on it. On her lower waist, there was a ribbon, tied in a bow with a diamond-studded circle in the middle. The skirt had four different layers, each one longer than the other. The first and third were made out of the same material as the rest of the dress, while the second and fourth were made out of transparent netting with a maroon ribbon on the hem.

Then, Ginny found a black, floor-length, halter top dress. It contrasted perfectly with her fiery red hair and pale skin. A long, silver chain clasped the halter top part together and ran down to her waist were the dress began. The neckline showed a lot of cleavage, but it still made her look sophisticated. There was a white beaded diamond in the middle of her ribcage. The dress, also, had a slit in the middle of it beginning at about her lower thighs.

Alana was about to give up when the four came up to her with something behind their backs. They all had the innocently "sceaming" looks on their faces. Alana looked at them as she was studying a purple dress with a gold beaded, v-dip neckline.

" What are you guys up to?" She asked, cautiously, almost afraid to ask.

" We've found the perfect dress for you that is guaranteed to make any man stop dead in his tracks the moment he sets eyes on you." Cleo answered.

" It might not be the exact color that you wanted, but it will still look fabulous on you." Ginny added.

Alana put the dress back on the rack and crossed her arms infront of herself with a sigh.

" Okay, let me see it." She answered, showing that she was exhausted with dress shopping by now.

That's when Jezebel whipped out the dress from behind them. Alana's eyes widened in shock. They were right; it was perfect. Alana smiled gratefully at her friends. She took it without a word and rushed into the dressing room. When she came back out, her friends clapped with approval. The dress hugged her body just right. It looked like it was made for her.

" Thanks, guys." Alana said, looking at her reflection in admiration. " I love it."

" I've never seen anything that looked so lovely in my entire life." Hannah commented.

" Well, hurry up and get changed so we can pay. We still have to shop for shoes, jewelry, and other accessories." Jezebel said, ushering her back into the dressing room.

After they had all payed for their dresses, the group went to other various shops. Later that afternoon, Alana dropped her purchases on her bed and flopped down in exhaustion. She let out a sigh as she kicked her shoes off.

" I never thought we'd ever leave Hogsmeade." Alana muttered. " Those girls seem to have boundless shopping energy."

She went about her room, putting her new things away and straightening up a little. Alana hated her room looking even remotely messy. As she was getting ready to sit back down at her bed, there were several knocks on her door.

" I'm coming!" Alana yelled, exasperatedly. " I'm coming!"

When she opened the door, no one was there. She looked into the hallway and down the staircase, but she couldn't see anyone there. Alana shrugged and closed the door before locking it. Then, there was a tap on her shoulder. She whipped around and pointed her wand at Draco's throat. He looked surprised at first before smirking down at her with a raised eyebrow.

" Now, now, now...is this anyway to greet your boyfriend?" He asked, teasingly.

" Sorry, in these times and all, you have to be careful." Alana answered with a laugh, lowering her wand immediately.

" That's okay. I guess I can forgive you." Draco replied, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer to him.

She giggle as he nuzzled her neck affectionately. He smiled back down at her before kissing her tenderly. Alana smiled and kissed back. When they parted, Draco's smile turned to a smirk.

" So, where's this dress you went out to buy?" He asked, curiously, looking around the room for it.

" It's a surprise. You'll see on the night of the ball." Alana answered, copying his smirk.

" Aw, come on, please!" Draco complained, whiningly. " You know I hate waiting, and the ball is still several weeks away."

" No, you'll just have to be patient for once." She replied, pulling out of his arms and walking into the bathroom.

" Fine." He sighed, dropping down onto her bed.

" So, what did you come here for other than to see my dress? Or was that not your true intention?" Alana asked as she took her hair out of its messy ponytail.

" I wanted to know if you would come and help me study for the Care of Magical Creatures exam tonight. It's tomorrow, and I don't feel very prepared for it." He explained. " I know you don't like the Slytherin dormitories very much, but I didn't want to bring all of my stuff up here incase you didn't want to help."

" Well...I have nothing in my social schedule tonight, so I guess I could help you. You probably wouldn't even need my help if you hadn't skipped the class so much." She answered, and Draco could almost hear her smirking.

" Okay, so it's a date then?" He replied as Alana came to the doorway.

" Yeah, it's a date, seeing as how we'll probably do more snogging than actual studying." She said with a giggle.

" Mmmm...we could do more than just snog if you want." Draco suggested, smirking at her devilishly.

" See...now that's how you get off track from your work. You're too obsessed with me." She told him as he stalked towards her.

Draco took her by the arms and pinned her up against the wall. He held her body in place securely with his. His forehead was pressed up against hers.

" Who ever said that obsession was a bad thing?" He whispered, seductively into her ear.

" Whoever it was, it sure wasn't me." Alana breathed, lust building within her quickly.

Draco smirked back at her before capturing her lips. Alana moaned as he snaked his way into her mouth and sucked on her tongue sensually. His hands held onto her hips firmly, almost possessively. Alana's brought themselves about his neck, trying to urge his lips closer to hers. They snogged each other passionately for awhile longer before they needed to part for air. Their eyes remained locked as they panted heavily.

" Well...you can go...on down...to your...room. I need to do...something...before I can come...down." Alana breathed.

" Okay...see you...in a few...minutes." He answered, kissing her lips again lingeringly before leaving.

Alana put a hand over her mouth and giggle before going back into the bathroom to straighten up. When Draco got back into his room, he started to clean the place up a little for Alana's arrival. He even lit a few candles to make the room seem less cold. After he was finished, Draco threw himself onto his bed and looked around contently. On the walls were a few of the sketches and paintings that Alana had made for him. His favorite one was in a frame right next to his bed. Alana had painted another picture of herself, only this one was a lot happier than the last. She stood in a garden filled with brightly-colored flowers and lush, green trees and bushes. Her head was tilted slightly to the right as she smiled at him warmly with the smile that only Alana could give him.

The wind blew through her hair lightly as well as her light blue skirt. She wore a brown, long-sleeved shirt with the same color of blue on the sleeves as the skirt. There were no shoes on her feet, which just left them bare against the soft, green grass. To her chest she held the crystal rose he had given to her that one night out in the forest. Her sapphire eyes sparkled in the sunlight as did the rose. This picture showed the true side of Alana; the one he had fallen in love with. Draco smiled at it before taking up the book he had been reading to get himself to sleep recently and opened it to the marked page. He'd been reading for five minutes when he heard the door to his room open. But when he looked up, Pansy stood in the doorway instead of Alana.

She was dressed in a black, micromini skirt and a very revealing, hot pink cami. Her pale legs were encased in hot pink fishnets, and she wore a pair of clear-heeled Stelletos. Pansy smiled at him seductively as she slinked slowly into the room. Draco wasn't pleased to see her at all. His eyes hardened at the sight of her. To him, she looked like a plastic doll gone bad.

" What do you want Pansy?" He asked, coldly, sitting up and putting his book back on the night stand.

" I thought I'd come and keep you company when I didn't see Lil Miss Perfect with you. A more dependable girlfriend should be with her boyfriend at all times in my opinion." She explained in her usual syrupy voice.

" Alana is a better girlfriend to me than you ever were. At least she doesn't flirt with every guy within a two inch radios of herself." He sneered, glaring at her harshly. " Now, get out of here. I don't remember even inviting you in."

" Oh, come on. I wasn't that bad. Besides, I know you still want me." Pansy retorted, pouting out her lower lip. " You know I was the best shag you ever got."

" Let's get one thing straight. I _do not_ want you! The shear thought of touching you repulses me. Alana's the only woman I'll ever even think of touching." Draco explained in a dangerous voice. " We're through once and for all, Pansy, so just move on already."

" Mmmm...I love it when you get all hot and irritated. It makes you fuck all the better when you have bottled up rage that you just want to take out on someone." Pansy purred, running her hand down one of the posters to his bed. " I can make you change your mind, Draco. I can make you want me."

" Heh...whatever." He spat, taking up his book again and reclining back on his pillows. " Now, get out before I hex you out myself."

Pansy smirked before jumping up onto his bed, knocking the book out of his hands, and straddling his hips. Draco looked initially shocked at first before glaring at her icily. Pansy put her hands on his shoulders and pinned him to the bed. She leaned down, her lips mere inches from his.

" You're still mine, Draco. Now and forever, you're mine. Kaligaris doesn't stand a chance. You know that you're bound to me. It was organized before our birth. We were promised to each other, and I intend to keep it that way." She hissed to him. " No little beauty queen wannabe is going to stand in my way of having you either."

Draco's gazed just hardened more as he grasped her arms in a vise-like grip. Pansy just seemed to be more turned on by this because she let out a desiring gasp. She tightened her legs around him, not letting him go for the world.

" Parkinson, if you don't get off of me right now, I'm going to..."

Suddenly, the door to the room opened! The two froze immediately in that position.

" Draco, sorry I'm late. I was just..." Alana trailed off.

She stood transfixed in the doorway. The sight infront of her had stunned her completely. Her eyes had never been more wide in her entire life than they were at that moment. Alana felt like her heart had stopped beating. The other two teenagers stared at her incredulously. It only took Pansy a second to recover before she started smirking again. Draco slowly began to come out of his shock and shook his head to wake himself up even more.

" Well, well, well...it looks like we have a visitor, Drakie." Pansy said with a cruel laugh. " Sorry, Kaligaris, we don't do threesomes."

" Alana?" Draco said, quickly, pushing Pansy off of him. " Alana, this isn't what it looks like!"

" How could you?" Alana whispered, softly.

" What?" Draco asked, not sure if he had heard her correctly.

" How could you do this to me, Draco?" Alana cried, hot tears forming in her eyes.

" Alana, please, listen to me! You don't understand..."

" Understand what? Understand that you were cheating on me this whole time?"

" No, it's not like that, honest! Please, if you'll just let me explain..."

" Explain what to me, Draco? Explain how you tricked me into believing that you loved me, that you _actually_ loved me?! Oh, I can see now that it was all just a load of dragon shit!"

" No, Alana, it wasn't just dragon shit! I love you! I never lied about loving you!" Draco exclaimed, jumping off of the bed and walking towards her. " I've prooved my love for you over and over again! You are the only woman that I have ever made love to! The others were nothing and are still nothing; this includes Pansy! Alana, I could never even dream of cheating on you!"

" Shut up! It's lies all lies! Why must you lie to me in my face? The only thing I don't understand is why I didn't see this sooner! I gave you everything, Draco, and this is how you repay me? By sleeping with Pansy behind my back? I gave you my kindness, the key to unlocking my mask, my virginity, and most importantly...my heart! Why Draco? What have I ever done to deserve this?" Alana shouted at him, through her cries.

" Alana, just listen to me! Please, just let me explain!" Draco begged, stepping closer to her, his hand out-stretched towards her.

" Stay away from me!" She shouted, her eyes glaring at him with pure hatred and sorrow. " Don't you dare come any closer!"

" Alana, please, my love," Draco pleaded, brokenly, " don't do this. Don't torture me like this."

" I hate you." She murmured, under her breath.

" What did you say?" Draco asked, in a quiet, frightened tone.

" I hate you, Draco Malfoy!" Alana screamed, before turning and running from the room.

Draco stood frozen in the spot he was in, hand still extended to touch her. His mind had shut down temperarily, unable to process what was happening. When he came back to his senses, Draco rushed for the door.

" Alana!" He yelled after her. " Don't go, Alana!"

That's when he heard the portrait door downstairs slam shut. His whole body seemed to go numb at that moment. Draco couldn't think, let alone speak. What had just happened seemed like a nightmare; a terrible nightmare. He prayed that it wasn't real; that he was just asleep and that he'd wake up from all of this. Then, the numbness went away and was replaced with the most awful, sickening feeling that he'd ever felt before. It took over his being, making him colder than he had ever been before. It was like the room had been swept up in an icy, Arctic chill. Draco instantly knew what the feeling was. Only one thing could hurt this much...

_Heart break _

His heart was breaking at that moment. He leaned against the doorframe and clenched his hand to his chest where his heart was supposed to be. Tears slowly trailed down his cheeks. His porcelean skin became even paler than it already was. Nothing could be any worse than this. The thought of losing Alana was almost as painful, but the actual heart break made him feel like he was dying. Pansy got up off of her spot on Draco's bed and came up behind him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and held him close.

" See what I was talking about, Draco? You're mine. You've lost your girl and now, you've got nowhere else to go. Just except your destiny." She whispered into his ear. " You can't hide from it any longer. You'll become what was planned for you."

Draco's face contorted with rage as he whirled around and slammed Pansy into the wall! She yelped from the pain, and he pinned her in place. If looks could kill, Pansy would have been dead twice over. His gray eyes had turned to pure steel. Anger and loss poured out from them as well as tears.

" Why do you always have to ruin things? Why couldn't you just leave me the fuck alone? Now, you've driven away the dearest thing in my life!" Draco bellowed like a wounded animal. " What do you have to say for yourself, bitch?"

" But, you're..."  
" Don't even say it! I'm not yours! I belong to no one, but Alana Kaligaris!" Draco shouted.

" She'll never have you back now. You're all alone now, Draco. You've got no one else to turn to." She hissed, triumphantly.

" I'd rather be miserable and lonely than go back to you! I hate you, you dirty, rotten, loathsome, fucking whore! Go burn in hell!" He roared, throwing her out of his room with all of the force he could muster.

Then, he slammed his door shut so hard that it made everything in the room shake. Draco punched his door before leaning up against it, breaking down to cry again. He slowly crumbled down to the floor in a miserable ball of sorrow. His heart felt like someone had lit it on fire and it was burning up inside his chest. All he wanted to do was tear it out to relieve his suffering.

" Alanaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He cried out. " Alanaaaaa, please, come back!!!!!!!!!! Come back to me, Alanaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Alana ran through the corridors, bawling her eyes out. She ran as if to escape the horror of what she'd just seen. But no matter how fast or hard she ran, the images just continued to come back to her at full force. Eventually, her legs could run no more, and she was forced to stop. Alana leaned against the wall to catch her breath. Her sobs weren't quenched yet, though. If anything, they gained more force. Slowly, she sank to the floor and huddled up close, while holding herself. Alana rocked herself as she sobbed hysterically. It felt like her heart had just been shattered into a million pieces. The pain was almost unbearable. Her heart felt like someone had just stabbed her and was now, leaving her there to bleed a slow, painful death. Alana clutched her chest as if to stop the pain. She shook her head in disbelief, not wanting to realize the truth.

" Why?!" She cried over and over again. " Why?! Why?! Why?! Why?!"

Now for the first time in her life, Alana knew what true misery felt like.

**A/N: I know, how could I do it? I'm sorry but it will work out in the end. The problem is bigger than just Draco and Alana's break up. Review please.**


	11. Severing Ties

**A/N: Hello again. I know the last chapter was heart wrenching. I'm sorry to say the next three chapters are going to be like that. Also, I'm disappointed that I only got one review after up-dating so much. I expect more this time. Well, read on...**

Chapter 11

Severing Ties

_Alone in this house again tonight_

_I got the TV on_

_The sound turned down_

_And a bottle of wine_

_There's pictures of you and I_

_On the walls around me_

_The way that it was and coulda been_

_Surrounds me_

_I'll never get over you walking away_

_I've never been the kind_

_To ever let my feelings show_

_And I thought that bein' strong _

_Meant never losin' your self-control_

_But I'm just drunk enough_

_To let go of my pain_

_To hell with my pride_

_Let it fall like rain_

_From my eyes_

_Tonight I wanna cry-_

"Tonight I Wanna Cry"

Keith Urban

When Draco walked into the Great Hall the next morning, it seemed like every single person in there was glaring at him. Just as always, gossip had spread like wildfire through-out the school, and now the entire student body knew about what had happened the night before. He walked towards his table, hearing people curse him and whisper to their friends in disgust. Even the Slytherins looked down upon him as he took a seat away from everyone else in an attempt to shut everything out. Draco didn't even have the strength to defend himself or tell his side of the story. His heart was way too heavy for anything like that yet. Reliving the whole ordeal made him want to break down and cry again. That's all he had did last night, cry until he couldn't cry anymore. He was haggard-looking from lack of sleep with dark circles under his eyes. Draco propped his head up with his hand. It was all he could do to keep himself from falling alseep on the spot. Then, his hopes lifted a little when he saw Jezebel coming towards him.

" _If anyone will understand, it'll be her._" He thought, hopefully.

But when she sat down, Draco saw just how wrong he was. Jezebel glared daggers at him furiously. Her dark brown eyes were colder than they had ever been before. Anger didn't even cover the expression on Jezebel's face. He'd never seen her look more pissed in all of his life.

" You bastard! And to think I trusted you! I trusted you with the most precious person in the world, and you had to go and hurt her! How can you live with yourself?!" Jezebel yelled, darkly.

" It's not what it appears to be! Just listen to me, Jezebel!" Draco pleaded, desperately.

He needed someone to talk to; someone who'd listen to him. Jezebel or Blaise had been his only options in the first place, and by the looks of it, Blaise was nowhere to be seen. Draco wanted so badly for Jezebel to calm down and just listen to him.

" Listen to your load of lies? Ha, I'd rather slit my own throat! I just hope you're proud of yourself! Alana won't even let anyone into her room! Of all people, Draco, I thought you would understand her!" Jezebel seethed.

" Wait! You knew?" He asked in amazement.

" Oh, now you're calling me stupid? Of course I knew! It was etched across her face every single day since she first came here! Then, you came along and made her happier than she'd ever been in her life! Alana gave you her everything, and all you gave her was disappointment and shattered dreams! This just proves it! I'm so ashamed of you, Draco Malfoy! I used to have confidence in you that you'd grow up to be different than that tyrant of a father you have, but I'm very disappointed to say that it was all a terrible waste! You are exactly like him!" She snarled, before getting up and storming off.

Draco sat there completely stunned. There went one of the only friends he had. Only one thought kept going through his mind.

" _Why me? Why did this have to happen to me? Why can't anything ever go right for once in my life?_"

He got up, deciding that he'd never eat anyway, and dragged himself to his next class. All that day, he couldn't concentrate on his lessons. It was just too much for him to handle. By the time he got back to his room, Draco just collapsed on his bed and fell asleep right then and there. The next day, Alana wasn't in classes again. She laid in bed all day, just like the day before. Her body was too numb to move, and her heart gave her excruciating pain. Alana finally allowed Jezebel to come in during the afternoon. Jezebel peaked into the darkened room around her door and smiled.

" Hey, girl." She said, softly. " Thanks for taking the charm off of the door."

" I just didn't want any visitors for awhile, that's all." Alana replied, hoarsely, with her back turned to her as she lay huddled underneath the covers.

" I brought you some food from the Great Hall." Jezebel explained, holding up a brown, paper bag and shaking it for her to hear as she entered the room and shut the door.

" Thanks, Jez, but I'm not hungry." She answered with a sigh.

Jezebel came over and sat on the edge of her bed. She sat the bag on the night stand before looking down at her. Pity and sorrow filled her eyes. It hurt Jezebel to see Alana suffer like this. She was so fragile before all of this happened, and now, it had crushed what was left of her once bright spirit. Jezebel gathered Alana in her arms along with the blankets and held her close. It didn't take much encouragement for Alana to snuggle up next to her warmth and started to cry softly again. As she stroked her matted and bed-ridden hair, Jezebel rested her cheek against Alana's head and whispered, " Sssh, it's okay. I'm here now. Alana, please, don't cry."

" Jezebel, it hurts so badly! My heart...it feels like someone's ripped out my heart and left a big, gaping hole in its wake! Why me, Jez? Why did this have to happen to me? What did I do to deserve this?" Alana cried, quietly.

" You did nothing, Alana. Nobody deserves this kind of misery, especially you. It will be okay. I promise that you'll get through this. I'll be here to help you always." Jezebel cooed, comfortingly.

" It will never heal! I know it won't! The wound is as deep as a never ending trench!" Alana whimpered. " My heart is broken forever!"

" Sssh, calm down, Alana." She murmured, hugging her closer. " If you don't, you'll make yourself ill."

Before long, Alana had cried herself to sleep again. Jezebel managed to tuck her back in without disturbing her. As she stood over her, Jezebel looked down at her, and a lone tear trailed down her cheek. She shook her head slowly and closed her eyes.

" _Of all people, it had to be her. Why is life always so unfair to good people? Out of everyone on this earth, Alana had to be one of those who were cursed with a broken heart._" She thought, sadly, to herself.

Carefully, Jezebel placed the lunch she'd brought for Alana in the mini refrigerator by her TV cabinet before sneaking quietly out of her room. It wasn't until a Saturday night at one of the parties that Draco finally saw Alana again. He had never seen her look so tired and stressed. Her friends must have helped her get ready because she didn't even look like she was strong enough to be up and around yet. She wore the outfit that she'd had on in the painting that still sat on his night stand next to his bed. Her hair was up in a dew-drop; probably to hide the fact that it hadn't been washed in awhile. Even her make-up couldn't hide the dark circles under her eyes and her paled complexion. She seemed thinner than before, and Draco wondered if she was getting enough to eat.

He watched as she sat in a corner with her friends all around her in big, comfy chairs. She was silent and hardly spoke more than five words. Alana reclined back in the chair and would have fallen asleep if it weren't for the loud music and the constant chatter of her friends. Draco wanted so badly to go over and talk to her, but he knew that her friends would hex him into oblivion if he even so much as took a step towards her. He didn't pretend not to notice the dark looks they would occationally send him. Their hatred for him was almost deeper than Alana's it seemed.

Tonight was supposed to be special because they were having karaoke. Girls and guys kept getting up on the stage that had been set up in the middle of the room to sing. But, to two people in the room nothing could make that night special or even remotely enjoyable. Draco stood in the back of the room, sipping a drink and watching couples dance to a slow song. They were having a break from the singing at the moment. His heart yearned to be out there with Alana. He went back to their first dance and all of the times that he'd danced with her at these parties. Draco could still remember how she felt in his arms when he held her close, even though it was slowly fading away. He remembered the silky feel of her hair as it brushed up against his cheek, the warmness of her hands as she held onto him gently, the soft touch of her lips upon his. Then, he was snapped unwantedly out of his thoughts as Jezebel got up on stage and pointed her wand at her throat.

" Okay, now who's next to endure the torture of singing for our personal amusement?" She called with a smirk.

A good deal of commotion started up as people poked and teased their friends to get up there. Then, Draco heard a little bit of screaming and shouting coming from one of the corners. That's when Alana was dragged up on stage by the rest of her friends! They pushed her up the steps and towards Jezebel, no matter how reluctant she was. She looked very nervous, and Draco could tell that she really didn't want to do it. Jezebel smiled and conjured up a microphone for her. She gave it to Alana before hugging her warmly.

" You'll do just fine." She whispered in Alana's ear softly. " This will help you recover a little better."

As she hopped off of the stage, Alana whispered to the boy in charge of the music. Then, as he was putting on the song she'd requested, Alana stared out into the crowd. She surveyed them cautiously, going back to her old nature. Draco had been able to prevent that part of her personality from showing itself, but now because of what happened, her mask had returned stronger than ever. It saddened his heart to see her once bright personality being pushed behind that horrible mask. When the music started up, Alana brought the mic closer to herself. Right before she started singing, her eyes found his, and they remained locked intently.

Now and then I confess

You cross my mind

Now and then I guess

I have a little too much time

I've changed my way of thinking

I've tried hard to separate

What came too soon

From what came to late

I don't think about

Me in terms of you

I don't think about

You in terms of us

I don't think about

Us in terms of love

I don't think about

Then in terms of now

I'll find a way

To start again somehow

I don't think about

What we thought it was

Oh, in terms of love

Oh, in terms of love

I'm countin' on

Heaven to understand

I didn't mean to go

And mess up other plans

Sometimes you know

Where you should go

Before you know the way

I'll bother with tomorrow

If I make it through today

I don't think about

Me in terms of you

I don't think about

You in terms of us

I don't think about

Us in terms of love

I don't think about

Then in terms of now

I'll find a way

To start again somehow

Don't think about

What we thought it was

Oh, in terms of love

Mmh yeah ah

I don't think about

Black in terms of gray

Revelations in the light of day

I don't think about

Cold in terms of ice

Or second chances happenin' twice

I don't think about

Me in terms of you

I don't think about

You in terms of us

I don't think about

Us in terms of love

I don't think about

Then in terms of now

I'll find a way

To start again somehow

I don't think about

What we thought it was

Oh, in terms of loove

In terms of love

Oh yeah!

Oh yeah! yeah! yeah! yeah!

I don't think about

Us in terms of love

A huge applause filled the room accompanied by whistles and shouts of approval. Her friends were making the biggest racket out of everyone there. There was only one thing wrong with that picture. Alana wasn't smiling. She merely stood there with tears in her eyes as she stared at Draco. Her hands trembled as she lowered the mic from her mouth. Draco had gone terribly pale, understanding what her song meant, just not wanting to believe it. His eyes looked at her pleadingly, but she just lowered her head and walked off of the stage. Jezebel noticed her friend's reaction and rushed over to her.

" Alana! Alana, what's wrong?!" She shouted over the noise, while grasping her by the shoulders.

Alana just thrusted the mic at her before running towards the door. Draco saw her and before he knew it, he was running after her. He pushed people out of his way, ignoring their glares and harsh remarks. His feet had a mind of their own as they carried him out of the Room of Requirements. When he got out the door, Draco looked down the corridors for Alana. That's when he saw her hurrying off in the direction leading to the Ravenclaw dormitories. He took of after her, not wanting to lose her again.

" Alana!" He called. " Alana, wait up!"

She looked over her shoulder, and her eyes widened. Alana just sped up more, trying to out run him. This brought back memories of the Quidditch pitch the night they'd shared their first kiss. Draco ran as fast as he could to catch up to her. It didn't take much, considering how weak she was. When he caught up, Draco grabbed her by the waist and swung her around, just like before. This time, though, Alana wasn't laughing as she kicked her feet out. She was yelling in protest, while holding back her cries. When he put her down, Draco refused to let her go. He held her close, trying to comfort her and calm her down.

" Please, Alana, calm down! I just want to talk!" He explained as she struggled in his grasp.

" Let me go, Malfoy!" She pleaded, beating her fists into his chest. " Please, just let me go!"

" Why won't you just listen to me?!" He asked, holding her out infront of him.

Alana pulled out of his grip and glared up at him defiantly.

" You cheated on me, you bastard! Don't tell me you forgot already?!" Alana yelled, viscously. " Why won't you just leave me alone? Can't you see that I don't want to be your little whore anymore?!"

Her words wounded him deeply. She had never been his "whore". Alana had been his love, his girl, his angel, not a whore. Draco could feel his heart ache beginning to worsen. This was so hard for him, and Alana wasn't making it any easier either. Why wouldn't she believe him?

" Please, Alana, what happen that night was a huge mistake." He began.

" No, the mistake began when I thought I could trust you with my secret! Even that one dance with you was against my better judgement!" Alana retorted, turning to leave. " I of all people should have known better than to trust someone like you! Now look what's happened! You've gone and broken my heart, shattered it into a million pieces! I hope you're happy!"

Draco grabbed her arm and tried to pull her back to him. Hearing that he'd broken her heart made Draco feel even worse. Alana, his Alana, had to endure that kind of pain; the pain that he himself was going through, too.

" Alana, I never meant to hurt you! You know I'd never even dream about hurting you!" He exclaimed, desperately, knowing that he was losing her more and more with every second that went by. " I love you, Alana! I love you with everything I am!"

" Stop tormenting me! You've hurt me enough, Draco!" Alana pleaded, tears pouring down her cheeks like rain. " Just leave me alone!"

Draco stared into her pain-filled sapphire eyes. The eyes, which were once filled with happiness, laughter, and most of all...love, showed nothing but hurt, sorrow, and hatred. Despair filled Draco as he continued to look into her eyes with his own saddened gray ones. Ever so slowly, he released her. Alana backed away from him, managing to glare at him coldly. Then, she did something that tore Draco up even more. She took the sapphire and diamond ring, his ring, on the chain around her neck into her hand and broke it off. With all of the anger and sorrow that possessed her, Alana threw it at him. Draco just barely managed to catch it. He stared at it in the palm of his hand with its now broken chain in disbelief. When he looked back up at her, Alana saw tears filling his eyes; eyes that held so much suffering. A pang of disbelief hit her hard. She shook out the nagging voice in her head that was telling her to reconsider and kept her cold expression in place.

" When I sang that song, I meant every word of it. I don't think about me in terms of you. I don't think about you in terms of us. I don't think about us in terms of love. You don't know what love is, Draco Malfoy, and you never will. I'm severing all ties with you, everything that binds my soul to yours. All I want is my life back to the way it was before I met you. So, you can take that horrid little token of your "love" and shove it up your pathetic, scrawny ass for all I care. Goodbye for now and forever." Alana told him as she turned around and kept walking towards the dormitories.

Draco stared after her incredulously before looking back at his promise ring that lie there in his hand. Tears streaked down his face slowly. It felt like they came from his heart and not his eyes. He clenched his hand into a fist and looked back up again. When he did, Alana was nowhere in sight.

" Alana!" He called out, hoarsely. " Please, come back, Alana!"

No one answered him in that empty corridor. With his heart even heavier than before, Draco put the ring in his pocket and walked off in the opposite direction towards the Slytherin dormitories. As soon as she was in her room, Alana screamed her lungs out. She went about kicking stuff and throwing stuff to the floor. Alana reached up and started to rip up all of her paintings and drawings that reminded her of him. Her grief was even worse now. Seeing Draco cry when she took the ring off and the look in his eyes had filled her with doubt, but she wasn't about to let go of her grudge just yet. Her heart was too broken for her to allow forgiveness. Sobs escaped her mouth again as she looked around the room for something else to throw. Finally, her eyes fell upon her crystal rose. She strode over to it and picked it up gently. Memories of the night Draco had given it to her flooded back into her mind. Happy memories...memories she now wanted to forget. After looking at it for a second, her face twisted up in rage, and she threw it at the walls. The rose shattered into a million pieces. Alana just cried more, thinking of how it now resembled her heart.

She flung herself onto her bed, hitting her fists into the pillows. Life was so unfair. Why couldn't anything ever go right? She thought that she'd found someone that she could trust, but now she saw just how wrong she was. Alana finally cried herself to sleep that night, wallowing in her grief, wondering if she would ever be the same again.

**A/N: I know, still sad and mopey. Please review and tell me what you think.**


	12. The Wilting Rose

**A/N: Hi everyone, second story for today. This chapter is one of the most important. I hope you all enjoy it.**

Chapter 12

The Wilting Rose

_I'm awake...afternoon_

_Fell asleep in the livin' room_

_It's one of those moments_

_Where everything is so clear_

_Before the truth goes back into hiding_

_I wanna deside _

_Because it's worth desiding_

_To work on finding_

_Something more than...severe_

_Takes so much out of me_

_To pretend_

_Tell me now_

_Tell me how_

_To make amends_

_Maybe I need to see the daylight_

_Leave behind the half-life_

_Don't you see I'm breaking down_

_Oh lately_

_Somethin' here don't feel right_

_This is just a half-life_

_Is there really no escape_

_No escape from time_

_Of any kind_-

" Half-Life"

Duncan Sheik

The Quidditch Cup match finally came, but Draco didn't have the confidence like he'd had at the last one. He didn't have Alana cheering him on anymore. This time, Draco didn't care if someone cursed him again. He just hoped that if they did, that he'd be killed in the fall. His heart ache never waned away. What pained him more was knowing that Alana's pain was greater than his, and that the cause of it was him. The day might have been sunny, but with his spirits so down, the heavens might as well have been coming down with everything they had. The Slytherin team played poorly that day, showing just how much of Draco's karma effected the rest of them. When Harry finally caught the snitch, Gryffindor won at two hundred and ten to twenty. The Slytherins just made it another reason to hate Draco. He was getting used to being the outcast of the school. It seemed like no one wanted anything to do with him.

As April turned into May, Alana continued to grow worse each and every day. Her smiles had become a thing of the past. She had lost so much weight that she looked almost like another ghost in the castle as she walked down the corridors. It was rare to even hear her talk anymore. She had now become the wilting rose that had once been her nickname for so long. Just like a wilting rose, Alana was dying ever so slowly with no hope of ever surviving.

One night, Alana walked down a corridor towards the Prefect girls' bathroom in silence swiftly. She could barely stand being in her room for very long anymore. It just reminded her too much of the happy memories about Draco; memories that she wanted so desperately to forget. Now, it had gotten so bad that she'd had resorted into taking baths in the Prefects' bathrooms. An arctic chill seemed to envelope the corridor as Alana passed through it. She hugged her bathrobe closer to her body, but it didn't seem to be helping at all. Her heart already felt as if it were frozen over, like it was nothing, but solid ice. The feeling caused her so much pain everytime she thought about him. When she just caught a glimpse of platinum hair or saw the flash of a pair of harsh, stormy gray eyes, it felt like her heart was breaking all over again. Images of that fateful night would come back to haunt her, making Alana sink even deeper into her depression. Alana was absorbed deeply in her thoughts as she entered the bathroom.

She mumbled a locking charm before walking over to the already steaming, white marble pool of water. Alana went over to the cabinet that contained all of the bath oils and soaps and took a bottle of lavender scented oil out. She poured it into the pool, and once it mixed with the water, bubbles magically appeared on the surface. Then, she hung her robe on a nearby hook and sank down into the water with a sigh. Even the calming waters rushing over her body and the therapeutic aroma of the bath oil couldn't sooth her aching spirit. Alana rested her head against the edge of the pool and closed her eyes. But when she did, images of Draco flashed through her mind's eye. The memories flooded back to her instantly. Draco's smile, the blissful touch of Draco's hands upon her skin, the sensual feel of Draco's lips upon hers, the unexplainable pleasure of Draco making love to her. Everything Draco. Draco! _Draco_! DRACO! No matter what she did, he wouldn't leave her in peace.

" _My heart is already broken, Draco! What else do you want from me?_" She thought, a single tear running down her cheek.

Crying had become a second nature to her. She cried almost four times everyday, sometimes even more. Nothing she did could make her forget what he had done or how he'd lied to her about everything.

" _I gave him up, dismissed him from my life. He betrayed me and broke my heart, yet it still yearns for him. How can I still love him so passionately after he caused me so much pain?_"

"_ He didn't betray you. Draco still loves you with all his heart. It was all a huge misunderstanding._" Her conscience told her.

_" 'Sure didn't look like a misunderstanding to me! Everything was exactly as it seemed. Draco screwed me over with Pansy and that's that!_" Alana thought, savagely.

"_ If you loath him so much, then why do you still call him "Draco" and not "Malfoy"?_"

" _Force of habit._"

" _No, that is just an excuse, and you know it. You'll never forget about your love; no matter how hard you try; no matter how resistant you are._"

" _You're wrong!_"Alana argued, indignantly. "_ I want nothing more to do with that lying, cheating, pathetic bastard!_"

She laid there in the water a little while longer, trying to calm herself slightly. Her rage towards Draco sometimes got out of control, and Alana had a hard time putting it out once she'd unleashed it. When she was pretty sure that her emotions were in check, Alana rose out of the pool and grabbed a nearby towel. After dying off, she wrapped it around herself carefully. It was hard to believe that a half hour had passed by so quickly. She walked over to the counter where she'd left her stuff in a private drawer from one of the other times she'd come here. When she said her incantation to make it unlock, Alana took out her brush and started to go through her soking-wet, matted hair.

" Never again will I allow someone to get so close to me." She murmured. " Never!"

Alana was too pre-ocuppied in her grief and thoughts to even notice that someone had unlocked the door and come into the room. As she was reaching for her robe, a hand shot out and grabbed her wrist! Before she could see who had done it, her captor pulled her to them, wrapped an arm around her neck, and held her in a vice-like grip. She clutched the arm tightly as her heart rate escaladed rapidly. Alana was too petrafied with fear to even scream. Her breathing had grown frantic and ragged. She'd never been so frightened in her entire life!

" Wh...who are you and w...what d...do you want?" Alana asked, shakily.

" You can just call me the Angel of Death and well, let's just say you won't live to see tomorrow." A malicous, yet syrupy voice said.

Suddenly, mind-numbing pain exploded in her stomach. What might have been a scream only came out as a broken gasp. Her eyes bulged and began to water. Alana looked down and saw a dagger protruding from her stomach! The handle had two, intertwining snakes engraved in the silver. A dark emerald gleamed in the light omniously. Blood was oozing out onto her once pure-white towel. Her captor's laugh was as dry as sand. She dug her nails into the person's arm, but they didn't let her go. When they removed the dagger, Alana's towel fell to the floor silently. At that moment, she felt more exposed than if a whole group of students had walked in.

" Oh, how I've waited for this moment to come." Her captor sneered. " To see you in such agony brings me so much joy."

Alana knew that she'd heard that voice somewhere before. It was so familiar, but her mind was too focused on the pain to match a face to it. She felt blood trickle down her legs and onto the floor. They shook as they struggled to keep her up.

" You have no idea how long I've wanted to kill you. For awhile, it seemed like I'd never get my chance, but finally, my opportunity came." The voice told her.

Alana watched in horror as her captor ran the dagger across the top of her breasts. Terrible pain seered through-out her body, making it even harder to bear. Every breath she took seemed to take more and more energy from her. She felt so helpless as the person, also, cut a line up her upper left arm and down her right thigh.

" Why are you doing this to me?" Alana cried out, weakly. " What have I done to deserve this?"

" You stole something from me. Now, I'm taking it back by ridding the world of you." They replied.

Alana wished she could just catch a glimse of her captor, but the mirror infront of her had a thick condensation all over the plane of glass from her bath, and her vision was becoming very hazy. She knew that she had already lost a great deal of blood; the proof was all over her body and the floor. The person who was torturing her laughed and held up the dagger for her to see. The jagged blade was coated with her blood in a crimson sheet. Tiny droplets dotted the handle.

Also, she could make out bony, deathly pale fingers with long, red nails clutching the handle. Her captor had to be female. Alana knew that she could identify her if her mind hadn't already begun to cloud over from exhaustion. She felt like every inch of her body was going numb from the pain. Her legs were becoming weaker and weaker by the second. Then, Alan felt the girl's breath near her ear. It sent chills up her spine.

" Good night, Lil Miss Perfect." She hissed, say the last words mockingly.

Alana's eyes would have widened if she'd had the strength. Only one person had ever called her that!

" No." She murmured.

" Oh yes. This is the end for you. Don't worry...I'll take his mind off of your death. Before long, you'll only become a dim memory in the back of his mind. Draco's in good hands."

That's when her captor released her. Alana swore she saw a flash of black hair as she fell. It seemed like everything had gone into slow motion when her body made contact with the hard, cold marble floor. She lay in a puddle of her own blood, unable to move. Alana shivered because she felt so unbelievably cold. A heartless cackle rang through-out the room before disappearing through the door. Alana continued to lie on the floor; too weak even to groan in pain. It all seemed so hopeless now. Here she was, lying on the floor in the Prefects' bathroom, bleeding to death with no strength to even yell for help. She could feel herself waning away with each passing moment. Right now, it seemed like her only choice was to just give up. What was the use in fighting? There was no reason for her to keep on living. If she did give up, Alana could escape not only her physical pain, but her emotional pain as well. She would never have to think about Draco again. Yes, to give up was her only way to freedom.

As everything began to darken, a few tears trailed out of her eyes. All of the memories flooded back again. Even as she was dying in the worst possible way, Alana longed for him. No matter how hard she tried to deny it, Alana would always love Draco. Her heart would be his forever more. For the first time in what seemed like ages, Alana didn't mind. That thought suited her just find. Who was she kidding. Alana couldn't just forget about all that her heart felt for him. She gave one, last lingering smile before closing het eyes and said in a hoarse whisper, " Draco, if you can somehow hear me, I just wanted to say...goodbye. Please, know that no matter what I've said to you, that I love you in everyway imaginable. Do me this one, last favor...never forget me."

And with that said, Alana gave one last gasp before she slipped into unconsciousness. Even as she lay there, her voice seemed to echo through-out the room in her last, desperate plea.

_Never forget me..._

**A/N: Wow! I really out did myself. Will Alana die? Or will she be saved just in time? Don't you all just love cliff-hangers:) Well, review please.**


	13. Please Don't Say Goodbye

**A/N: You all must love me for not waiting to pots this chapter. I know I left you at a cliff-hanger, so now you get to find out what happens. Have fun and read away...**

Chapter 13

Please Don't Say Goodbye

_I never thought that _

_I would lose my mind_

_That I could control this _

_Never thought that I'd be left behind _

_That I was stronger than you, baby_

_Girl, if only I knew what I've done_

_You know, so why don't you tell me_

_And I...I would bring down _

_The moon and the sun_

_To show how much I care_

_Don't wanna lose you now_

_Baby, I know we can win this_

_Don't wanna lose you know_

_No, no_

_Or ever again _

_Don't wanna lose you now_-

"Don't Wanna Lose You Now"

Backstreet Boys

" Ginny, will you ever grow up?" Hermione asked, rolling her eyes at the red head.

" Oh, come on, Mione. Will you just have a little fun for once in your life?" Ginny countered, jabbing her playfully with her elbow.

" Well, I'm sorry, but I just don't think that putting a cobra in Malfoy's dorm is the best way to get back at him for cheating on Alana." Hermione stated matter-of-factly. " Besides...it's her problem, not ours."

" Why not? He likes snakes anyway. Malfoy has a lot in common with them. He's sneaky, vile, and untrustworthy. And Alana's not doing anything about him, so we're stepping in for her own good. As Jezebel always says, " Somtimes friends know what's best for friends, even when they don't"." Ginny explained as they came to the door to the Prefect girls' bathroom.

" And you actually believe a word that comes out of Jezebel's mouth? Never mind; don't answer that. I already know the answer." Hermione said, pushing the door open. " We'll talk about this later. But for now, let's just go and soak in the bath for awhile. I need time to relax with exams being so harsh this year."

When they stepped inside, the sight infront of the two both shocked and horrified them. A body nearly coated with blood lay in a scarlet puddle on the heavily-stained, marble floor. Her hair, still terribly wet, was plastered to her bare skin as it lie splaid everywhere. The once white towel that was left crumpled up next to her was stained with a great deal of blood as well. The girl lay motionless as if she were already dead.

" Marry one of the gods!" Hermione gasped, her hands flying up to her mouth.

" What the bloody hell happened here?" Ginny asked, breathlessly.

They both rushed over to the girl. Ginny kneeled down next to her body and gently turned her face towards her. When they both got a clear look at it, Hermione and Ginny felt their breath catch in their throats. For a brief moment, it seemed like the world had stopped turning before the reality finally set in.

" Alana? Oh dear Lord, Alana! Alana, speak to me! Please, speak to me!" Ginny cried, shaking her by the shoulders. " Come on, Alana! You have to open your eyes!"

" Here, move over!" Hermione ordered, kneeling down next to her.

She did as she was told and made room for her. Hermione placed two fingers on the side of Alana's neck and waited. Ginny watched as a small look of relief passed over her face.

" Thank God, she's got a pulse! Quick, Ginny, get me her robe over there on the hook!" She instructed, hurriedly. " We have to get her to the Hospital Wing immediately!"

Ginny scrambled to her feet and quickly grabbed Alana's robe. She threw it over to Hermione, who caught it and wrapped it around Alana's limp body. Then, she gathered her gingerly into her arms and started towards the door with Ginny right by her side. Ginny opened the door for her, and they both took off at a sprint down the corridor.

" We have to hurry! She's already lost too much blood as it is! If she loses anymore...well, I'd rather not think about the consequences!" Hermione explained, a worried look taking over her face.

Draco sauntered down the corridor lazily. His life had become worse than before ever since Alana had left him. He had run out of tears to shed over the matter. It had left him completely empty; devoid of all emotion. To put it more simply, Draco just didn't care anymore. Most people that had once been his friends had left him; the only exception being Blaise, who was the only one who believed his side of the story. Really, Draco couldn't stop thinking about Alana, even though he now pretended to be indifferent about her. He still loved her with all his heart. The pain had finally left him, just like she had. The world was always so unfair to him. Now, it had snatched away the only thing he had ever, truly loved. Suddenly, a Ravenclaw ran past him, nearly knocking Draco down from behind! She didn't even so much as mutter an apology.

" Hey! Watch where you're going and slow down before I deduct points from Ravenclaw!" He shouted, though he really didn't care that she was running at all.

The girl skidded to a stop and spun around. _Cleo_! Her eyes were red from crying, but she still managed to glare furiously at him.

" Oh, just shut the hell up, Malfoy!" Cleo snapped, before taking off into a run again.

She turned around the corner and disappeared into another corridor. Draco merely raised an eyebrow and just kept walking, not in the mood to chase down someone for running. Then, he saw Jezebel fly down the corridor Cleo had just gone down. A few seconds later, she came back around the corner and ran towards him.

" Geez, what is it with people and running today?" Draco muttered under his breath.

Then, without a moment's hesitation, Jezebel flung herself at him and started crying into his chest. At first, Draco was shocked. Not only was Jezebel not the kind of person who just broke down infront of someone like that, but she still expressed openly about how much she still hated him for what he'd done to her best friend. His expression softed, and he embraced her back. He was willing to put aside all the nasty and hurtful things she'd said to him for the past couple of weeks and take pity on his old friend. She continued to sob hysterically, clutching him tightly.

" Jez, what's wrong?" He asked, tenderly. " Are you okay?"

" Oh Draco..." She sobbed, brokenly.

" What is it?" He replied, holding her out infront of him. " What's wrong?"

It took Jezebel awhile to calm down enough to talk. When she did, Jezebel looked up at him with her dark, grief-stricken eyes and answered in broken sobs, " I...it's Alana!"

Draco's face seemed to drain of all color. For a second, it felt as if time had come to a sudden hault. He was for sure that his heart had stopped beating.

" What happened?" Draco asked in a raised voice. " Is she okay?"

" Sh..she's in the H...Hopsital Wing. You n...need to come..._now_!" Jezebel answered, tugging on his hand frantically.

They ran to the Hospital Wing swiftly without another word, as Jezebel told Draco of how Ginny and Hermione had found Alana bleeding on the floor in the Prefect girls' bathroom. While she was telling him the story, Draco's heart raced faster and faster, hammering hard against his chest. He was running as fast as his long legs would allow. When they reached the Hospital Wing, Draco noticed that almost all of Alana's friends were there. Jezebel ran up to Blaise, who embraced her firmly, as she continued to cry. His face was, also, very solemn. Everyone's attention immediately diverted to Draco. He held his head high in defiance, showing that he wasn't afraid of them. His hands were jammed into his jean pockets as he took a defensive stance. The cold glares he recieved from them seemed to be boring into his skin.

" What is _he_ doing here?" Ginny snarled.

" Yeah, he doesn't deserve to see Alana after what he put her through!" Hannah added, coldly.

" I sent Jezebel to find him." Blaise interrupted, calmly, everyone looking at him in utter shock. " He has as much right to be here as any of us."

" But..." Cleo complained.

" Listen, you all might believe that I cheated on Alana, but I didn't." Draco stepped in.

He was so tired of being judged because of an implied situation when not everyone knew all of the facts. It was time for him to finally clear his name and tell them what had really happened. Right now was not the time for them all to turn on him.

" Pansy forced herself on me. I wasn't about to do anything with her, except hex her dispicable, slutty self off of me. I still love Alana dearly and would give the world for her. I would even give my life for her if it meant that she would live another day. I never meant to hurt her; that's the last thing I ever wanted to happen. If you think that these past few weeks have been easy on me, then you don't have the slightest clue how wrong you are. I've had to endure as much pain as her, if not more because of knowing that I caused her heart break. So, think about about that before you accuse me of something I didn't do."

They all fell silent, except for the muffled cries coming from Jezebel. Draco looked them over warily, seeing is anyone was going to argue with his statement, before closing his eyes and giving out a heavy sigh. He ran a hand through his hair and opening his weary eyes.

" How long has she been in there?" He asked, quietly.

" For half an hour. Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Flitwick are all in there with her and Madame Pomfrey." Hermione answered, hoarsely, leaning heavily on Ron, who held her close.

Draco leaned against the wall and closed his eyes; mainly to stop the tears from spilling out. Alana, _his_ Alana, was in there, bleeding to death, and he couldn't do a thing about it. The thought of being useless to her made his despair even greater. How could this have happened? How could he have let Alana be attacked? Suddenly, the door opened, and Professors McGonagall and Flitwick walked out; both silent and grim-looking.

" Professor McGonagall, how is she? Is Alana gonna be okay?" Ginny asked, hurriedly.

" We're still not sure. She's lost a lot of blood back in the bathroom and is still losing some now. Madame Pomfrey is doing everything she can for her. The Headmaster is getting Healers from St. Mungo's to help." She answered, her age showing more than ever because of her stress.

" I need to see her." Draco stated, urgently.

" I'm sorry, Mr. Malfoy, but I can't let you." McGonagall replied, raising an eyebrow at him. " She's in too critical of a state right now."

" I didn't ask to see her." He told her, challengingly. " I said I _need_ to see her."

" Now, see here, Mr. Malfoy..."

" Minerva, is everything alright out here?" Dumbledore asked, appearing in the doorway.

" Please, Professor," Hannah begged, " we want to see Alana."

" You can see Miss Kaligaris after Madame Pomfrey and the Healers are done, but for now, you all need to have patience." He adviced them with a wise smile.

" You don't understand, Headmaster." Draco insisted, looking up at him defiantly. " I have to see Alana immediately."

He didn't mention that if he didn't, Draco didn't know how much longer he'd be able to survive not knowing if she really was as bad as everyone said she was. It was bothering him to almost the end of his sanity. Dumbledore just kept smiling down at him and placed a hand on his shoulder. A small wave of comfort rushed over him.

" I know how you feel Mr. Malfoy. You're the closest to Miss Kaligaris out of all her friends. As hard as it is for you, I need you to be patient. When Alana is allowed to have visitors, you'll be the first to know. I promise you that." Dumbledore assured him.

Draco still looked up at him with defiance, but he backed away and took his spot back by leaning on the wall again. Dumbledore gave him one, last look before turning to McGonagall and telling her to send someone for him if Alana's condition changed. After she assured him that she would, Dumbledore bed the others goodbye and walked off. Flitwick hurried off to the Owlery to notify Alana's family. McGanagall stayed with the others to supervise them. Just then, Madame Pomfrey rushed out.

" What is it, Poppy?" McGonagall asked, noticing the flustered look on her face. " What's the matter?"

" Is Alana alright?" Draco added, worriedly.

" She's lost so much blood! Her pulse is way too weak for comfort! If she doesn't have a blood transfusion soon, I'm afraid that she might not make it!" Madame Pomfrey explained, solemnly.

" What's her blood type?" Cleo asked, hurriedly. " Maybe one of us could help."

" She's got a rare blood type. It's AB negative." She answered.

" I'm AB negative." Hannah piped up.

" Oh thank the Lord!" Madame Pomfrey exclaimed, ushering her into the room. " Come, Dear!"

The door locked behind them, and everyone else slumped back into their previous positions. The girls settled into the arms of their boyfriends for comfort. Draco merely continued to lean against the wall; his eyes closed as if to shut out the reality of the situation. After an hour, Hannah came out, looking totally exhausted. Her boyfriend, Michael, took her away to the Hufflepuff Common Room before anyone could ask her questions. As the rest of the hour passed; Hermione, Ron, Harry, Ginny, Cleo, and Ryan all left. Jezebel and Blaise had fallen asleep together, while Draco stared out into open space blankly.

It seemed like an eternity before the door finally opened again. Madame Pomfrey came out and started whispering to Professor McGonagall. A look of slight relief passed over her face before she said, " Okay, well...I better go get Albus. He'll want to be informed about this. Oh, Poppy, you better let Mr. Malfoy see her. He won't be satisfied until he does."

McGonagall walked off swiftly as Madame Pomfrey smiled sympathetically at Draco.

" You may see Miss Kaligaris now, Dear, but I caution you." She told him, softly. " Her appearance may come as a bit of a shock to you."

Draco nodded before entering the room. Curtains were pulled over the windows, making the room extra dark. A single candle flickered on the night stand next to one of the hospital beds. That's when his eyes fell upon Alana. Just the sight of her was almost enough to make him release the tears he'd been holding back. She looked so small and fragile in that bed. Her skin was as pale as if she were already dead. The rosy color of her full lips had turned to a pale blue. Draco could barely see her chest rise and fall. The glow of the candle light made her skin look translucent. All of the machines that were hooked up to her made Alana look that much more vonerable.

He walked up to her slowly, unable to believe that this was really happening. As he sat down in a daze by her bed, Madame Pomfrey checked the readings on the machines. Draco reached his hand out and moved a piece of hair away from her face gently. Sorrow and regret were etched on his finely-chissled face. The woman smiled down at him out of pity.

" The Headmaster told me about your relationship with the young lady. You can stay a little while after he comes to check on her." Madame Pomfrey said, softly. " But, I assure you, she's in the best of care."

" Is she going to be alright?" Draco asked, hoarsely. " I mean...Alana will live, won't she?"

" We won't be certain until tomorrow. She's in a very critical state at the moment. It just depends on how hard she fights. I'll be staying up all night to keep a constant vigil on her to make sure her heart doesn't fail. Already it's very weak." She explained, carefully.

There was a knock on the door just then. Madame Pomfrey rushed off to answer it as Draco continued to stare down at Alana helplessly. Dumbledore walked up behind him quietly and smiled down at him kindly. Draco didn't even acknowledge his presence.

" Your friends seem to be sleeping deeply outside the door. They didn't even move a muscle when I passed by them. I was surprised they weren't in here with you. They were anxious earlier to see Miss Kaligaris." He said. " Her family will be here tomorrow to see her. They were very upset to hear about her accident."

Draco only made a small noise in the back of his throat to show that he was listening. Dumbledore put an aged, comforting hand on his shoulder again. He looked up at him blankly, but his eyes showed confusion along with much grief. The Headmaster thought that a young person like Draco shouldn't know such a painful feeling.

" We're doing the best we can for her." He told him as Draco looked back down at Alana.

" And it's still not enough." Draco sighed, bitterly.

" I want to tell you she'll be okay, but it would just give you what might be false hope. Alana is a truly special girl, and I know it must be hard not knowing if you'll ever get to speak to her again." He continued.

" You have no idea." Draco muttered.

" Mr. Malfoy, I'm aware of the way you feel about Alana. It is no secret to me about what happened between you two recently. Heh, gossip in this school is so bad that it even reaches the teachers' ears." Dumbledore explained as Draco shot him a shocked look before looking back down at Alana. " Please, do me a small favor. Don't beat yourself up about it. The incident was in no way your fault. And deep down in her heart, Alana knows that."

Silence filled the room, except for the constant beeping of the machines. No matter how much he wanted to, Draco refused to let the Headmaster see him cry. His eyes were focused on Alana's pallid face, taking in her still beautiful features. Knowing that nothing he could do or say would comfort him, Dumbldore started towards the door. When his hand was on the nob, he turned around and said, " There is always hope; no matter how dark and bleak the situation may seem."

With that, he left the room, closing the door behind him. Draco caressed Alana's cheek gently, feeling her icy skin beneath his hand. Alana was sweating a little, and her face turned feverish. On the night stand was a bowl full of water with a wash cloth hanging on the side. He dunked it in the water, rung it out, and started to wash the sweat beads off. Draco did it in a loving fashion, carefully wiping her entire face until the feverish look went away. After he was finished, Draco placed it back in the bowl. Then, he turned down the blankets that were pulled up to her neck down a little, so she wouldn't get over heated. Alana had been dressed in a pure white nightgown. The ties were undone, and Draco could see the bandages wrapped around her chest. Blood stains were visible as well. He also, saw the bandages around her left arm. This just proved that he wasn't dreaming. Alana _had_ almost been murdered. She _was_ fighting for her life.

Gently, he took one of her small hands into both of his. A single tear trailed down his cheek. His eyes gazed down at her face as if to try and wake her.

" Please, Alana, please be alright." Draco begged, pleadingly. " I can't be happy without knowing you'll pull through. I need you...so much. You're the only reason I even get out of bed in the morning. You're my one reason for living. I'd give anything to trade places with you, so you didn't have to suffer. So please...don't say goodbye, Alana. Don't say goodbye to me just yet."

Just then, Madame Pomfrey walked out of her office. She studied Draco for a second before walking up to him quietly.

" I'm sorry, Mr. Malfoy, but you need to go now. You can come back in the morning during breakfast if you wish." She told him.

Draco nodded his head before rising slowly out of his seat. Then, he bent down and kissed Alana's forehead tenderly. That gesture was almost enough to make Madame Pomfrey cry. She let him out and locked the door behind him for the night. Jezebel and Blaise were gone now. He figured that Professor Dumbledore must have woken them and said that they could come back the next day. Draco made his way down to the Slytherin Common Room at a sluggishly slow pace. His heart had never felt heavier. All of the pain that he thought had disappeared came back to torture him.

No one was in the Common Room when he got there. It was better that way. Now, he wouldn't have to talk about the incident that had surely been circulated throughout the school. Draco managed to get into his room, even though his feet felt numb. He stared around his cold gloomy room, as if looking for solice. As he was taking his shirt off, Draco passed by the dresser with the picture of him and Alana on it. It was from one of the nights the gang had snuck out at night to party by the lake.

He had his arms wrapped around Alana's waist with his hands resting on her stomach. Alana had an arm wrapping itself around his neck behind her. Draco was kissing her neck and whispering endearments in her ear. She giggled slightly when he whispered in her ear. The lake lay behind them in the backround. He couldn't believe how happy and content she looked in that picture. It was hard to believe that the girl in that photo was the same one laying up in the Hospital Wing, barely hanging onto life.

Draco looked up into the mirror hanging over the dresser and stared blankly at his reflection. Suddenly, his face twisted up in rage, and he punched the mirror, shattering the glass! He went around the room, turning stuff over and throwing things at the walls as hard as he could. Finally, he let out a frustrated yell before collapsing on his bed. Draco buried his face in one of the pillows and started to sob hysterically. Every once in awhile, he'd thrash about and beat his fists into the mattress. It had been so long since he'd cried like this. Draco cried about Alana, about their broken hearts, and about life all together.

He didn't like not knowing if Alana was going to be okay or not. How he wanted so much to just turn back time and fix the past, so he and Alana could still be together. But, it was a fleeting wish; a fantasy. Nothing could change what was already done, and he knew this. So, Draco cried himself to sleep that night; praying for a miracle. The miracle that would bring his Alana back into his waiting arms.

**A/N: I cried typing up this chapter. I hope you all liked it though it was incredibly sad. Well, review please and tell me what you think.**


	14. My Darling Girl

**A/N: This is a bit more light-hearted than the past two chapters. I know you all are anxious to read so I'll leave you to it.**

Chapter 14

My Darling Girl

_How will I start_

_Tomorrow without you here_

_Who's heart will guide me_

_When all the answers disappear_

_Is it too late? _

_Are you too far gone_

_To stay best friends forever? _

_Should never have to go away_

_What will I do? _

_You know I'm only half without you_

_How will I make it through? _

_If only tears could bring _

_You back to me_

_If only love could find away_

_Find away_

_What I would do_

_What I would give_

_If you returned to me_

_Someday _

_Somehow_

_Somewhere_

_If my tears could bring_

_You back to me-_

"If Only Tears Could Bring You Back"

Midnight Sons

The next morning, Draco woke up with a start. He'd had a nightmare, but once he was awake, he couldn't remember what it had been about. With a shrug, Draco stretched his arms and looked around his room groggily. That's when he saw that his dorm looked like a hurricane had run through it. Flashbacks of the night before flew through his head, and Draco remembered everything about that terrible night. Tears immediately sprung to his eyes. He pulled his knees up to his chest, put his hands on top of his kneecaps, and buried his face in his open palms. Every regret, every missed opportunity surfaced its ugly head again. The pain seemed to come so suddenly that it would have knocked him back if it could.

Then, a thought struck him. What was he doing here crying his eyes out for? He didn't even know if Alana was still doing poorly. Draco raised his head and started to wipe away his tears fiercely.

" Come on, Draco, suck it up! Forget about the pity party and get your lazy ass up out of bed!" He scolded himself. " Alana needs you!"

Draco went and took a quick shower before throwing on some fresh clothes. Without even going down to the Great Hall for breakfast, he rushed up to the Hospital Wing. The door was left open, so Draco went inside without any hesitation. But, he came to a sudden stop once he entered the room. There was someone sitting in the chair by Alana's beside already. It was a woman, probably in her middle to late twenties. She had her elbows up on the side of the bed with her forehead resting in her up-turned palms. Her eyes were closed, but tears continuously flowed out of them. Draco could make out the streak marks on her face, and judging by how pale she was, the woman had been crying for a long time. Her long, golden blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail, which was coming gradually undone.

She didn't seem to have noticed his presence at all. Draco walked up to her slowly and quietly, trying not to disturb her. He looked Alana over carefully, taking in her appearance. She seemed to be doing slightly better. Her lips were going back to their natural color, and her complexion was darkening ever so slowly. A few machines had been taken away as well, making the space around her bed seem less cluttered. The woman still hadn't noticed him yet, so Draco cleared his throat to get her attention. Her head snapped up, and she looked at him with shock. Her big, cocoa brown eyes were very large and showed that he'd completely surprised her.

" Sorry, but I've been standing here for awhile and you didn't notice me, so..." He tried to explain.

" Oh no, that's quite alright. I was just totally zoned out. I didn't even hear you come in." She replied, dismissing his apology and quickly wiping her eyes for any remaining tears.

The woman looked oddly familiar. He knew that he'd seen her somewhere before, but just couldn't place where. And the heavy accent that riddled her speech seemed familiar as well. It reminded him of how Alana used to talk before her friends' British accents had influenced her own Greek one. As she gazed up at him in fasination, Draco noticed the dark circles under her eyes. She obviously hadn't slept at all that previous night. A gentle smile graced her lips as she looked him over.

" Sorry, where are my manners? I'm Mia Kaligaris," She said, extending her hand for him to shake, " Alana's older sister."

" Hi, I'm Draco Malfoy." He replied, taking her hand and shaking it firmly.

That's why she looked familiar! She was Alana's sister from the picture in her room. He had to admit, Mia was even prettier in person. Good looks must run in their family.

" I know exactly who you are. I knew the instant I saw you." Mia told him with a spark in her eye.

" You did?" Draco asked, not knowing if that was a good or bad thing.

" Yeah, Alana's told me all about you. I think the letters started somewhere in mid-March. She'd met this boy with platinum hair, a very pale complexion, and stormy gray eyes that had a startling similar personality to hers. You fit the discription perfectly. Well...I'm not sure about the personality yet, but it's only a matter of time." Mia explained. " Yes, you made my baby sister very happy."

" Did she tell you about...what happened a few weeks ago?" He asked, hesitantly.

" Unfortunately, yes she did. That's one thing I just don't get, Draco. Why all of a sudden did you stop loving her? I asked myself this as I read that first letter. After that, Alana got very distant, even with me. I could tell that she was heart broken." She answered, her smile dwindling ever so slightly.

" I swear it's not true!" He began. " I would never have cheated on Alana!"

" You don't need to explain, Draco. I already know this." She said, raising a hand to stop him.

" Wait a minute! You do?" He responded, confusion etched across his face.

" Of course I do. I may be young for an adult, but I'm not stupid. A boy doesn't just say that he loves a girl with all his heart and suddenly cheat on her like she didn't mean anything to him. No, by the way Alana said you acted around her, it was impossible that you'd even consider doing something like that. I never knew that one person could make her so happy. I mean, she'd waste like two whole pages just talking about you. I thought it was incredibly sweet and romantic what you did for her. And now, you've proven me right. The nurse here said that you stayed until after midnight last night, waiting to see Alana and wouldn't leave until you did. And here you are again. You really do love Alana, don't you, Draco?"

" With everything I am, I do. I love your sister very much." Draco confessed, sincerely.

" Well, it's a good thing Papi and Mama came early this morning to see her or else Papi might have had a few choice words with you. He won't give up his little girl without a fight." Mia replied with a laugh. " He had a hard enough time letting me go."

" They were already here?"

" Yes. They came and stayed for three hours before Flooing back home. They both have to work at the family restaurant, even though they wanted to stay here with me. I promised to stay and watch over Alana until she wakes up, but from what Madame Pomfrey has told me, I might be here for a very long time." Mia answered, looking down at Alana sorrowfully.

" Why? What's wrong with her now?" Draco asked, worriedly.

" Alana's stable, but the loss of blood made her slip into a coma-like state. It's hard telling when she'll wake up. It might a few days or a couple of weeks to maybe several months. No one is a hundred percent certain." She explained.

Draco's heart dropped to somewhere down near his feet. A coma! Several months! No, this couldn't be! Not his Alana! Not his angel! He looked down at her with a horrified expression. She just merely continued to sleep peacefully; her face showing no traces of suffering from the night before.

" I know this must be terribly hard on you. I understand. It feels as if I've already lost my sister. But, there is always hope. We have to be hopeful that she'll pull through." Mia advised.

" I need to be with Alana alone for awhile." Draco mumbled, quietly.

" Okay, I'll stay outside until you're done." Mia replied, getting up from the chair.

She smoothed out her khakis before walking out of the room. When the door shut, Draco collapsed in the seat. He looked up at the ceiling and sighed deeply. His eyes closed slowly, and Draco kept them shut for what seemed to be the longest time. It was like he was trying to shut out the world, hoping that when he opened his eyes again, Alana would be sitting up and smiling at him. But, Draco knew that it was just a wish, and wishing had never gotten him anywhere before. When he opened his eyes again, Draco looked down at Alana. A little smile started to tug at her lips. She was dreaming.

" _All well, at least she's happy while she's in this coma._" He thought, vaguely.

" 'Brought something for you." He whispered, not knowing why he was talking to her since she couldn't hear him, but it seemed to help make it easy for Draco.

He took out his wand and with a quick flick, a dozen blue and purple roses appeared in his hand. Then, Draco conjured up a crystal vase full of water and set it on her night stand before putting the roses in it. He smiled down at her warmly and caressed her cheek.

" There, your favorite flowers in your favorite colors. I don't care if blue roses are technically not real if you don't. Please, Alana, come back home to me soon. I want to be able to hold you in my arms again and tell you how much I care. I want to remind you how much I love you. Don't sleep for too long, Alana. Please, don't keep me waiting, my darling girl." He pleaded, softly, trying not to let his voice break.

Mia swore she was about to cry as she watched Draco from the crack in the door. She put a hand to her mouth to silence herself before he found out that she was spying on him. Draco, then, leaned down and kissed her forehead, trailing his lips down to her nose, cheek, and finally her lips. His lingered there for awhile before he pulled away. Alana wasn't cold anymore and had regained her usual warmth. After saying that he loved her one more time, Draco got up from the chair and headed towards the door. Mia came back in before he even called for her. Draco saw her eyes glistening with fresh tears and was about to ask what was wrong when Mia said, " Well, I suppose you have classes to get to."

" Uh yeah, I suppose I do." He replied, almost forgetting about them.

" Um listen, I want you to come by Alana's dorm after dinner okay. There's somethings I think you should see." Mia told him.

" Okay, I'll try to remember." Draco assured her.

" Great, see you tonight then."

" Bye."

Draco walked out of the room without another word. He barely payed any attention in any of his classes that day. Thoughts of Alana and her problem commanded his full attention. Blaise and Jezebel hardly got a word out of him during lunch as he picked half-heartedly at his food. Later that night, just like he promised, Draco went up to the Ravenclaw Common Room. Cleo let him in, and he made his way to Alana's dorm. After knocking, Mia let him in. Draco stepped into the familiar room, looking around with a slightly saddened expression on his face.

" You're remembering happy memories, aren't you?" She asked.

" Yeah, one imparticular." Draco answered, quietly, remembering the night he had given Alana his ring.

" Well, first, I think we should get some of the painful things out of the way. When I was brought up here, I found her room looking like a disaster area. I cleaned up the room and put everything back where it looked like it went. While I was cleaning her carpet," Mia explained, taking a small paper bag out of Alana's night stand, " I found this."

She held out the bag to Draco. He took it hesitantly and opened it, almost afraid of what he might find. That's when he heard the clinking of crystal. When he looked inside, a lump formed in his throat. Draco looked up at Mia, and she merely nodded to him. He turned to Alana's desk and dumped the contents of the bag onto it. There, laying in shattered pieces, was the crystal rose he'd given her. They glittered in the light, casting shards of rainbow colors on the wall.

" I found that broken into a ton of pieces and I hope that I found them all. I'm not sure if you'll be able to fix it or not." Mia explained, gently.

Draco continued to look down at it incredulously before taking out his wand and mumbling something under his breath. Suddenly, the rose fixed itself, and every last piece was put back together. He picked it up and examined it before holding it close. Mia walked up to him and rested a hand on his shoulder sympathetically.

" Come on, let's move onto something happier. I brought pictures of Alana with me of when she was growing up. I thought you might like to see them." She said, directing him towards the bed.

There was an assortment of books spread out on it. Draco sat down and took one up. It had cute little kitten designs all over it in different colors with white poka-dots all over them. He flipped it opened and saw dozens of pictures of Alana when she was a baby. Even when she was a baby, she had a thick head of dark hair. Her sapphire eyes were slightly lighter, but still as vibrant. As he flipped through it, he watched as she aged gradually. Draco laughed at the picture of when Alana ate spaghetti for the first time. It was all over the place; in her hair, on her clothes.

" She was a little cutie when she was that young. Never fussed or cried about anything. She always was smiling and giggling. Just a little bundle of joy sent to brighten up our lives." Mia commented.

After he was done with that book, he took up another that showed Alana from when she was three to six. In a half hour he'd gone through all five books. Draco stopped at one picture. It had to have been fairly recent. Alana stood on a balcony in a lime green and turquoise gown. The gown was held up by two, thin, turquoise spaghetti-straps. The neckline made a plunging v-dip, showing a lot of cleavage. Turquoise beading was embroidered all over the lime green material. In the middle of the bodice all around her waist was nothing, but transparent turquoise material and beading. The beads managed to hide her belly button fairly well. The skirt flared out from her waist, which was lime green with a transparent turquoise slip over it. It reached all the way to the stone floor, covering her feet. Alana rested one hand on the balcony, while the other held her turquoise shawl, so it would lay it the crook of her arms. Her hair was done up in a messy bun with strands of wavy hair falling into her face.

There were candles floating in the air around her, illuminating her face and making her long, blue crystal, chandellier earrings sparkle. The Eiffel Tower stood in the backround serenely. The sky was just growing dark and it had tinges of purple and rose in the clouds.

" We went to Paris for my wedding last summer. This was at the resception. Oh, Alana really enjoyed herself. She said Paris felt like it had always been her home. After we left, Alana said that someday she would have a home in Paris and study art after she graduated." Mia explained as Draco handed her the books.

Mia took them and packed them back up in the duffle bag she'd kept them in for the trip. Next, she walked over to Alana's desk and whispered the incantation to a locked drawer. When it opened, she took out Alana's sketch book. Draco's eyes widened at the sight of it. Mia came, sat back on the bed, and held it out to him. He looked at her in confusion at first, but after awhile he was scared to look in it. Draco knew that Alana drew in it almost everyday, updating it frequently. Slowly, he shook his head.

" You need to see what she drew, Draco. It may sting for a second, but it will help." Mia encouraged him.

" I don't think I can." He whispered.

" You can and you will. Draco, if you don't look, you'll never know how she actually felt while you two weren't together. If she does wake up and forgives you, knowing my sister, she'll never show it to you ever again. She'll forever be afraid about what she put in there." Mia explained, putting the sketch book in his hands.

Draco looked down at the book and ran a hand over the familiar dusty blue cover. Ever so carefully, he opened it. He flipped through the same pictures, pausing slightly at the one picture that had started his curiosity about Alana in the first place before going on. Then, he came to a sketch in colored pencil. It depicted a torn heart, ripped right down the middle. On one side was Alana, holding herself in the same pose as her one picture. She looked over her shoulder sorrowfully, tears streaming down her face. On the other side, was him. He had his back to her with his hands shoved in his pockets. It looked like he was walking away from her. He, too, was looking over his shoulder at her, only his expression was stony and cold. His eyes had never looked more harsh. How We Broke Apart.

Quickly, Draco flipped to the next page, only to come to another heart-wrenching watercolor painting of Alana. She lay on her stomach on the floor with no lights on in the backround. The painting was from her head to her waist. He could tell that the only thing Alana had on was a blanket that was spread over her from her ribs on down. Her plump breasts were pressed up against the carpet. She rested her cheek on her left hand with her right arm curved around her head delicately. Her hair lay splaid everywhere, covering her shoulders and a few strands in her face, setting off her glittering eyes. The only reason why her eyes glittered like the sapphires that they were was because Alana was crying. The pale moonlight pooled down around her, making her skin look translucent and pallid just as it did now. Her face was serene, except for her eyes, which held all of the bottled up emotion. Sorrow, grief, dispair, and disappointment poured from them like a waterfall. How could one girl know that much pain? Alone Again Tonight

Draco was almost afraid to turn to the next page. This was so difficult to endure. As if reading his thoughts, Mia put her hand on his shoulder again and murmured, " No one ever said that this would be easy, Draco."

He nodded in understanding and reluctantly flipped to the next page, even though his mind screamed at him not to. That page was almost enough to make him fling the book away from him. On that page was a sketch of how Alana had found Draco and Pansy. They were in the same exact pose, nothing different at all. It brought back every single detail of that night, followed by the pain and loss. The title got him the most. Even thought it was simple, it felt like Alana had stabbed him in the heart.

Betrayal

He closed the book and set it aside. Tears flowed down his face freely. Draco didn't even try to stop them. It brought him comfort to cry.

" No more. I can't take anymore, Mia. I just can't." He whispered, brokenly.

" There's just one more picture I need you to see, Draco. Just one more." Mia promised him as took a cuppled up piece of paper out of the sketch book. " I found this in Alana's trash can near her desk."

She smoothes out the wrinkles in it so he could see the picture better. This one didn't depict sorrow or loss. No, this picture brought Draco a feeling he hadn't felt in what felt like forever. Alana had painted out in watercolor what she'd hoped the future would look like. Again, she stood on a balcony looking out at the Eiffel Tower. This time she stood in a loose, white nightgown with blue lace on the the skirt. Draco could just barely see the tiny pearls in the lace. Alana leaned on the balcony with her elbows resting on the railing. Her hair lay over her shoulder in a messy braid. She looked like she'd just gotten out of bed. Then, he stood behind her in a pair of black slacks with no shirt on; his chest gleaming in the morning light. He had his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her close to him. His chin rested on her shoulder as he whispered endearments in her ear and kissed her neck.

Roses grew along the sides of the brick walls behind them. Other flowers were planted in white, Grecian-styled pots on both sides of them. Butterflies rested on a few of them, drinking their sweet nectar. The sun was just coming up over the horizon, bathing the sky in different shades of yellows, pinks, purples, blues, and oranges. Draco felt tears come to his eyes again, only this time he cried about how beautiful it was. Mia smiled at him warmly, understanding how he felt.

" This is how she pictured her life with you. I think she painted it before the incident because she was too distressed to have painted it afterward." Mia explained, softly.

" She threw it away because she felt it reminded her of what she thought could never have." Draco mumbled, getting the idea.

" There is something else about the picture, but you have to look extra close to see it." Mia told him in a hushed tone. " Draco, look at Alana's stomach."

He did as she instructed, and it took him awhile to see what she was talking about. His eyes widened in surprise, and thought for a minute that he was seeing things.

" I can't believe it!" He whispered in awe.

" Neither could I at first, but after looking at it several time, I saw that my eyes weren't playing tricks on me." Mia said.

Alana's stomach on the picture had become round and protruded slightly in the nightgown. She'd painted herself in the beginning stages of pregnancy. Alana had wanted to bear his children! She had wanted to have a family with Draco. It touched him and made his heart soar.

" I know for a fact that Alana never gave up on her love for you. The proof is around the room. She never even had the heart to take down her old sketches and paintings of you." Mia told him, gesturing to the walls.

Draco looked up and saw that she was right. There were still some pictures of him and her together up on the walls, even though there weren't as many as before. If she wasn't ready to give up on him, then neither was he. Draco didn't care how long Alana was in her coma. He would always be there for her. With that in mind, Draco rolled up the painting carefully and got up off of the bed.

" If you'll excuse me, I have to go see someone. I'll see you tomorrow, Mia." Draco explained, heading towards the door.

" Okay. Good night, Draco." She called after him.

**A/N: This was a bit of a difficult chapter to write, but I thought I did pretty well. It's kind of hard to describe Alana's paintings, so give me a little slack. Review please.**


	15. Hope Saw Us Through

**A/N: Here's the chapter you've all been waiting for. The answer as to whether Alana wakes up or not. Enjoy.**

Chapter 15

Hope Saw Us Through

_Tell me what_

_I have to do tonight_

_Because I'll do_

_Anything to make it right_

_Let's be us again_

_Sorry for the way _

_I lost my head_

_I don't know why_

_I said the things I said_

_Let's be us again_

_Here I stand_

_With everything to lose_

_And all I know is _

_I don't ever want to_

_Ever see the end_

_Baby, please_

_I'm reachin' out for you_

_Won't you open up _

_Your heart and _

_Let me come back in_

_Let's be us again_-

"Let's Be Us Again"

Lonestar

Alana struggled through the mists of sleep and exhaustion. It was like she was trying to surface from the bottom of an ocean. A great weight on her eyes made it even harder for her to make them open. Gradually, her eyes opened, extremely sensitive to the bright light flooding into them. At first, her vision was hazy, and she felt completely numb. Alana lay there, unmoving and blinking her eyes rapidly to get used to the light. After awhile, the numbness wore off, and her vision began to clear. Alana felt her mind starting to awaken as if it had been sleeping along with her. She looked around herself sleepily, not recognizing her surroundings at first. Then, the hospital beds and privacy curtains started to look familiar.

Alana was in the Hospital Wing! The big question was how did she get there in the first place? She couldn't remember anything about that fateful night. The point after she got out of the bath came as a total blank to her. It was like her mind had been wiped totally clean. Slowly, she started to examine her surroundings. On the night stand next to her were several get-well cards along with pictures of her and her friends. There were boxes of candy and other little presents on the table, too. But, what really caught her attention were the roses in a crystal vase. It looked like there was about a dozen of them, maybe more. They were in soft pastel colors, like yellow, light orange, rose pink, and lavender with a few sprigs of baby's-breath in there for a little something extra.

The pleasant aroma soothed her aching mind. Already it was so much to take in. Her body was still very weak and already she was exhausted again. Sleep seemed so tempting to her, like it was coaxing her to give into her fatigue. Suddenly, the door to Madame Pomfrey's office opened! The elderly nurse came out, wiping her hands on her apron. Alana turned her head towards her slightly; her eyes taking her in wearily. That's when Madame Pomfrey noticed Alana looking at her. At first, her expression was unreadable, but it quickly changed to surprised relief.

" Oh praise the Lord, you're awake, Miss Kaligaris!" Madame Pomfrey exclaimed in a soft voice. " I can't believe it! You're awake!"

She came rushing over to her bedside hurriedly. The woman bent down and kissed her forehead in a motherly affection several times. When she raised herself up again, Alana saw traces of tears starting to swell in her eyes. Madame Pomfrey put a hand to her mouth to keep from crying. She gazed down at Alana with a mixture of happiness and awe.

" We were so certain that it'd be a very long time before you woke up again. Your readings weren't too promising. All well, that's all in the past." Madame Pomfrey rambled on." The good thing is that you're awake now. So many people will want to see you."

" Excuse me, how long have I been asleep?" Alana interrupted her rejoicing, her eyes filled with much confusion. " Why was I asleep in the first place? Why am I here? This is all so confusing to me."

" Dear, you don't remember what happened to you?" She asked, her smile faultering slightly.

Alana only shook her head. Even the slightest movement took a lot of her strength.

" You came in here three weeks ago and nearly died from loss of blood. It took everything we had to stabalize you. The next day, you slipped into a coma. We weren't sure at all when you'd wake up again. It was even a possibility that you'd never wake up." Madame Pomfrey explained, gently." The sad thing is, we never found out what actually happened to you. Some people have different theories than others. Some say that you were so depressed that you tried to kill yourself, and others say that someone tried to murder you. If you ever woke up, we were hoping that you'd be able to answer that question for us. You don't remember anything, Alana?"

She shook her head slowly in response.

" No, not a thing." Alana answered, quietly. " When I try to think back, I draw a blank. The whole thing is fussy."

" All well, give it time. You may remember later on. Well, I better give your Head of House and the Headmaster the news. I know a lot of people are anxious to see you," She told her, her eyes gesturing down fondly at something next to Alana, " one person inparticular."

Alana followed her eyes. When she looked right next to her bedside, Alana saw a boy sleeping with his head resting on his arms, which were crossed up on the side of her bed. His platinum hair was splaided out elegantly in a silky puddle. The expression on his smooth, porcelean face was calm and content. A blanket lay over his shoulders. Alana's eyes widened when she realized who it was. She looked up at Madame Pomfrey with shock. The nurse merely smiled back at her.

" He came to visit you at least three time everyday for the past three weeks. When he came, he'd always give you fresh roses. One time he explained to me that they were your favorites. Those are from him there on you night stand." Madame Pomfrey whispered, softly, pointing to the flowers next to her. " I came to check on you last night and noticed that he'd fallen asleep watching over you. I just didn't have the heart to wake him, so I put that blanket over his shoulders and let him be."

Alana looked back down at the sleeping form of Draco. She couldn't even begin to describe how her heart felt at that moment. It was like all of her emotions had just been thrown together in a jumbled mess. One side of her was over-joyed that he was there and touched by what he'd done. Draco had come to see her; he had been worried about her condition. But the other, also, felt a twinge of pain from her broken heart. Even after all she had been through, Alana still remembered what had happened between them. The horrible images from that night began to replay back in her mind. Without saying another word, Madame Pomfrey walked out of the Hospital Wing and shut the door behind her. Draco wasn't even aroused by the sound it made as it closed. Alana reclined back into her bed; her sapphire eyes never leaving him.

" _I can't believe he's really here! This must be another dream._"She thought. "_ Yes, it's all a dream. Any moment now I'll wake up._"

But, Alana knew it wasn't a dream. She knew perfectly well that she was awake, and that everything around her was a hundred percent real. Suddenly, she felt this terrible yearning to touch him. It was nagging away at her, trying to persuade her to just brush her fingertips over him. With her right hand, she hesitantly reached out to touch him. When her hand brushed over his silken head, a comforting feeling wash over her. The feeling she only got when she touched Draco. All of her doubts were pushed away into the back of her head. Her heart break and sorrows were pumbled down into the dark recesses of her mind, while pleasure and comfort washed over her. She stroked his head lovingly for the longest time; her eyes gazing down at him afeectionately. Then, ever so slowly, Draco started to wake up. When he began to move around, Alana's hand shot back. His eyes fluttered open reluctantly, not used to the light at all. A whining groan emitted from him before he yawned hugely, as if to get rid of the side effects of sleep.

Draco sat up slowly; the blanket falling from his shoulders. He stretched his long arms over his head before ruffling his own hair a bit. Then, his stormy gray eyes rested on Alana. Their eyes locked for the longest time; neither of them saying a word. Draco's face was unreadable, looking as if he was still groggy. After a few more seconds, the reality dawned on him, and a incredulous expression took over his face. Alana reached out and took his hand, as if to tell him that she was really there. He leaned closer; his eyes still looking as if he couldn't believe what he saw.

" A...Alana? Is it you? I...is it really you?" Draco asked in a tentative, breathless whisper. " I'm not dreaming again...am I?"

" Hi, Draco." She answered, a small smile gracing her lips.

" Oh my God! It is you! You're really awake! Oh Alana..." He cried out, flinging his arms about her.

Draco pulled her smotheringly close to him, holding her as if to never let her go again. Surprisingly, Alana hugged him back in the same fashion. One of his hands rested gently on the back of her head urging it closer into the crook of his neck. Their eyes were closed trying to savor the moment, making it last as long as it could. Draco buried his face in her hair, muffling the sobs that escaped his mouth. Tears trailed out of Alana's own eyes as she cried along with him. Their bodies shook with longing, but neither of them noticed. They were too caught up in each other to pay attention to anything else.

" I missed you." Draco choked out. " Oh God, how I've missed you!"

" I've missed you, too, my love, very much." Alana whispered, brokenly. " Please, keep me with you! I don't want to go back into that deep sleep again! Don't let me go back into that darkness!"

" Sssh, it's okay! Please, calm down, Alana. I won't let you to relapse again. I've waited so long for you to wake up and I'm going to make sure you stay that way." He purred to her, soothingly. " I don't want to lose you again."

When he held her out infront of him, they smiled warmly at each other; love radiating from their eyes. Draco wiped the tears from Alana's eyes gently with the back of his hand before kissing her forehead. She took his hand and kissed his palm before placing its warmth on her cheek. He continued to smile at her as he moved to sit next to her, putting a protective arm around her shoulders. Holding her close to him felt so right. It seemed like forever since they'd been that close, but it felt good. Alana settled her head in the crook of his neck, and Draco rested his cheek against her forehead. She took in his familar scent, not realizing before how much she'd really missed it.

" It's so good to have you back with me, Alana. I've agonized over this moment for three weeks. For awhile, it seemed like you'd never wake up," He confessed, quietly, " that this coma would last an eternity. I was so afraid that I'd never get to say goodbye."

" I'm here now, that's all that matters." She replied, looking up at him contently. " How is everyone?"

" They're all worried about you, but otherwise the same as you left them, except they aren't planning my demise anymore. When you went into your coma, they all put aside their grudge for your sake." Draco explained. " Your sister is here as well. She's been staying in your dorm all this time. Mia was very kind and helped me through most of this."

" I'm glad to hear that." Alana replied, snuggling even closer to him.

Even as she sat there, content in his arms, Alana still felt that sharp pain from her heart. She wasn't completely certain about him yet. Some nagging little voice said he just was pretending to care to get something from her, even though she wasn't sure what. That's when she saw something sparkle around his neck. When she looked, Alana saw a silver ring with a square-cut sapphire; tiny diamonds outlining it, hanging from his neck on a silver chain. Her promise ring! He'd kept it after all this time! She just couldn't believe it. When Alana looked up at him, fresh tears appeared in her eyes.

" You kept that," She asked in a quiet, awed tone, briefly gesturing down at the ring with her eyes, " even when you knew that I hated you?"

" Of course I did." Draco answered, smiling down at her. " I wanted anything I could get my hands on to remind me of you. I never took it off, keeping it close to my heart, just as you had once done."

" You still continue to amaze me everyday, Draco Malfoy. You never gave up on us, even when times got dark?" Alana replied, still uncertain about all of this.

" A wise person once told me that there is always hope; no matter how dark and bleak the situation may seem." He stated, remembering the words Dumbledore had spoken to him that night three weeks ago.

" That was a very wise person." Alana remarked, the way Draco was looking at her made her feel shy and nervous.

Draco smiled down at her warmly before lowering his lips to hers, only to have the door to the Hospital Wing burst open. The two parted instantly as a whole group of students paraded in. They all rushed over to Alana's bedside, talking all at the same time.

" Alana, thank the heavens, your awake!" Hannah squealed.

" I knew you would pull through! I just knew it!" Cleo added.

" How are you feeling?" Ginny asked, worriedly." Do you need anything?"

" Guys, please, calm down!" Alana exclaimed, trying not to laugh. " I'm fine; a little tired, but fine. I'd be even better if you all talked one at a time and not so loudly."

Everyone went silent, but you could tell by the tension in the room that they were all still extremely excited. She could tell by the stressed faces of her friends how worried they were about her. It touched her heart deeply that they cared so much for her. Then, Jezebel made her way to the front with Blaise trailing along behind her. Alana smiled up at her warmly as she came and stood infront of her. At first, Jezebel just stood there, looking down at her with blank empression. Suddenly, she flung her arms about Alana, hugging her firmly. Alana embraced her as Jezebel cried heavily into her shoulder. She patted her friend awkwardly on the back. Jezebel never really did this sort of thing very often, so it was hard to decide how she wanted to be comforted. After awhile, Jezebel finally looked up with tear streaks on her face. Alana smiled and wiped them away gently.

" If you ever scare me like that again, I swear I'll kill you." Jezebel choked, offering a weak smile.

" Don't worry, I've had enough of near-death experiences." She answered with a laugh.

" Good."

Jezebel hugged her firmly again and stood up. Blaise shook her hand with a smirk and said, " Nice to have you back, Kaligaris. We didn't know what to do with ourselves while you were sleeping the days away."

" Nice to see you, too, Zabini." She answered, smirking back.

That's when Madame Pomfrey rushed in. She saw the group and frowned, going into hystarics.

" Okay, everyone, out!" She snapped, moodily. " You've had enough time to visit, now out!"

" Aw, come on, Madame Pomfrey!" Ginny complained. " We just got here!"

" I don't care!" She yelled, pointing at the door. " Out, all of you!"

They all grumbled as they trudged out of the room. Draco stayed put and looked at Alana with a raised eyebrow. She had the same look on her face and shugged at him for an answer. That's when Professors Dumbledore and Flitwick strode into the room along with Mia. When she saw her little sister, Mia immediately ran up and hugged her tightly. Alana embraced her back just as firmly, letting her sister cry into her hair. Mia's body shook bone-rattlingly from her cries.

" Alana! Oh, Alana..." She sobbed. " Oh, my dear, sweet, beautiful Alana..."

" Ssssh..." Alana cooed, comfortingly, stroking her hair. " It's okay."

" You're back! You've finally come back to us!" She continued to gush. " Oh, please, never scare me like this again! Please, I beg of you!"

" I won't." Alana assured her, trying to cover up her own choked-up voice. " I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

Mia pulled back a little and smiled through the concerned look she had on her face. She caressed Alana's cheek with a hand softly, looking down at her admiringly.

" All of those weeks of being asleep and you're still just as radiant as you have ever been." Mia said, hoarsely.

" What can I say?" Alana commented with a smile. " They don't call it 'beauty sleep' for nothing."

Mia laughed lightly and hugged her again before saying, " I see your sense of humor hasn't diminished either."

Draco wrapped an arm around Alana's shoulder and kissed her forehead affectionately. Mia moved herself into the nearby chair to give them more room, holding her sister's hand in hers. Dumbledore cleared his throat, getting their attention. The three looked up at him, almost forgetting that he and Flitwick were even there.

" I, too, am glad to see you awake, Miss Kaligaris." Dumbledore stated, kindly. " I know many of your friends, especially Mr. Malfoy here have been very concerned about you for the past three weeks."

" Thank you, Professor." Alana replied, bowing her head slightly in respect.

" I have sent an owl to your parents." Flitwick informed her. " They'll be here later tonight to see you."

" Thank you, sir."

" Miss Kaligaris, we know you still must be very tired after all of this, but we really need to know what happened to you. Miss Granger and Miss Weasley said they found you in the bathroom. Do you know how you came to get those slash marks on your body?" Dumbledore asked.

Alana looked down at her hands, which she now had in her lap; one hand still clutching to Mia's. When she tried to think back, everything came up blank. That's all she saw in her mind's eye. _Blank! Blank! Blank! _She looked back up at them finally and shook her head.

" No, I don't." She told him.

" Are you sure?" Dumbledore pressed, a little more firmly. " Think hard, Miss Kaligaris."

" She said she doesn't remember, Professor." Draco retorted, in a harsh voice. " Don't push her. Alana is still weak, and the last thing we all want is her to go back into that lathargic state."

" Draco, it's alright." Alana assured him, putting a hand on his arm to silence him from starting an arguement with the headmaster before looking back at Dumbledore. " I'm sorry, Professor, but I just don't remember. I remember getting out of the bath, but that's it. Everything else just goes black after that."

" I see..." He said, disappointment etched across his face. " Sorry to add pressure to you, Miss Kaligaris. We're just trying to find your attacker before he or she tries to kill anyone else."

" You don't think I tried to kill myself?" Alana inquired, hopefully.

Dumbledore smiled and said, awkwardly, " I don't believe you were _that_ depressed."

Alana smiled appreciatively before she settled comfortably into Draco's arms and yawned. He looked down at her in concern and asked, " Tired, Love?"

" A little."

" You all should leave and let Miss Kaligaris get some rest." Madame Pomfrey told them, sternly.

" I won't leave her." Draco replied, defiantly, hugging Alana closer to him.

" It's okay, Draco." Alana said, looking up at him wearily. " I'm not going anywhere. Besides, I'm sure you have classes to go to."

The guilty look on his face said that she was right. She smiled and hugged him awkwardly. It still felt strange for her to hug him. Things just weren't clear for her yet.

" Go," She encouraged him settling back down into her bed, " I'll be fine."

Draco looked at her hesitantly before standing up.

" If it's alright with Madame Pomfrey, I'll stay here and look after her." Mia told him, comfortingly.

He nodded in appreciation. Then, he leaned down and brushed his lips over hers. Alana felt her old feelings towards him almost take over her being. _Almost! _She looked up at him; her eyes riddled with confusion as he smiled back down at her. Draco slipped the chain that held her promise ring up over his head before placing it over hers. Alana looked down and fingered the ring tenderly; her fingers tracing the familiar stones.

" Take care of that for me." He told her with a smirk. " I'll see you later tonight, Love."

Alana watched as he turned and walked out of the room. Dumbledore and Flitwick bid her "goodbye" as well before they, too, left. Madame Pomfrey went into her office after telling Mia to call her if she needed something. When they were finally alone, Mia smiled brightly at her sister, taking one of her thin hands into hers. Alana couldn't believe how thin she had gotten while she was asleep. Then, the reality dawned on her at last. She had been in a _coma_! She had been unconscious for _three_ weeks! People were beginning to think that she would _never_ wake up! It scared her to think about it. Mia saw the distressed crease on Alana's forehead, knowing she was thinking about her past situation.

" Alana," She called, softly, to get her attention, " I'm really relieved that you're awake."

" Thank you."

" Is there something that is bothering you?" Mia asked." You know that you can tell me anything."

Alana looked at her sister uncertainly. There were many things that were troubling her. How could she sum them all up without taking up the rest of the day?

" I don't know..." Alana began. " Everything...everything seems to be going wrong. It's my whole life here at Hogwarts! First, I meet who I think is the perfect guy. Then, I find out that he may possibly be cheating on me! And now, this!"

She gestured to herself in the bed. Alana was getting very aggitated about all of this all of a sudden. She looked down at the bandages on her arm and the ones peeking through the top of her night gown.

" I mean...look at me! I'm in a freakin' hospital bed, nearly _covered_ in bandages! And on top of that, I can't tell anymore if Draco really did cheat on me or not!" Alana exclaimed. " He comes in here, looking all relieved and concerned, and I can't tell! It's pissing me off!"

" Alana, calm down!" Mia replied, trying not to laugh at how ridiculous her little sister was being. " Is this why you're so stressed? You're worried that Draco really would stoop low enough to cheat on you?"

Alana merely nodded her head like an upset child. Mia let her laughter ring out. Her sister now had an indignant look on her face and crossed her arms in a huff.

" It's not funny, Mia!" She snapped, angrily. " Stop laughing at me!"

" I...I'm sorry." She answered, wiping the tears of mirth from her eyes. " It's...it's just funny to finally see you stressed out about something other than school work for once."

" Ha ha, very funny." Alana retorted with a pout.

" Okay, Alana, I'm really sorry." Mia assured her, patting her hand. " If I may say so, you have nothing to worry about. From what I observed, Draco could only have room for one woman in his life, and that is you."

" How can you be so sure?" Alana asked, skeptically.

" Because he hardly ever left your side while you were in that coma." She said with a laugh. " I mean...I'd have to come in here and nearly argue with him to get him to leave and get some rest or go to class. He spent every spare second he could in here with you. I've never seen anyone, save for myself, care about you as much as he does."

Alana said nothing. She just started to play with the bedsheets, refusing to look up.

" I...I just don't feel like I can trust him yet, Mia." She murmured. " I can still feel the aftermath of my broken heart. A part of me wants Draco back so desperately, but the other doesn't want to be hurt again."

Mia smiled understandingly and put a comforting hand on her cheek. She then, made Alana look up at her. Alana had tears in her sapphires, not letting a single one fall down.

" I don't want to go through all that pain again." She whimpered, clutching Mia's hand. " I...I want him, but yet...I don't."

" Oh, Alana..."

" How did my life get so complicated?"

" Sometimes it does, but it always gets better." Mia assured her, embracing her gently. " Alana, please, just give him another chance. Draco is a good man. If anyone loves you more than anything else in the world, it's him."

" But..."

" Enough of all this doubt!" Mia said, holding her out infront of her, wiping away Alana's tears in a motherly fashion. " It's time for you to be happy."

" I don't know if I can be." Alana murmured, sorrowfully.

Mia gave a great sigh before turning to look at the roses on Alana's night stand. Then, a sweet smile graced her lips when something caught her eye. She looked back at Alana, palming her cheek lovingly before saying, " I know you are confused, Alana, and though it seems hard, you need to forgive and forget. It is the only way you are ever going to heal. Trust me on this one. I know true love when I see it, and I see it everytime Draco's eyes rest on you. Now, get some rest and think over what I've said. I'm going to get a little rest myself."

Mia leaned forward and planted a tender kiss on Alana's forehead before rising from her seat. She smiled knowingly at Alana as she closed the Hospital Wing door behind her. Alana gave a frustrated sigh as she leaned back against her soft, feathery pillow. She looked over at her roses again and couldn't help but think how truly beautiful they were. It was then her eyes travelled down and caught sight of something right below them. For the briefest moment, she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Leaning against the vase of her roses in a metal picture frame wrought with designs of roses was one of her watercolors. But this wasn't just _any_ watercolor. She still couldn't believe it; didn't want to believe it.

" _But...but I threw it away! I remember distinctly tearing that painting out of my sketch book and throwing it into the garbage!"_ Alana thought, unable to grasp the fact that the painting was sitting right infront of her. " _How did it get here? Who could have possibly found that?_"

The picture in question was the one she had painted of she and Draco standing on the balcony in Paris. With a little hesitation, Alana reached out and took the picture off of her night stand. She cradled it in her lap, holding it very gingerly. Her fingers traced over the delicate engravings in the frame; the metal cool beneath her fingertips. Memories flooded back to. Alana remembered sitting at her desk and outside near the lake, working diligently on the painting for _days_. The whole time she worked on it, she had dreamed of when the painting would become a reality, dreaming of when they would become man and wife and of having a little family of their own.

This brought tears back to her eyes. That dream still seemed farther away than ever before. Sharp pains tore at her heart savagely. The picture seemed to be tormenting her now; the happy faces mocking her. Alana's grip on the frame tightened as she remembered why she had thrown it away. A few days after she had seen Pansy and Draco together, Alana had gone through her sketch book, tearing out all of the paintings and drawings that reminded her of him. She remembered the burning desire of wanting to forget all about him. When she'd come to that painting imparticular, Alana had felt her heart shattering all over again. It took less than a second for her to tear that picture out, crumple it up, and throw it into her waste basket. Later, she had regretted what she had done. Each night as she lay in bed, part of her yearned to dig through her now full trash bin and recover the painful painting. But her pride and fear of being wounded even farther had prevented her.

Now as tears dropped down onto it silently, Alana felt like she couldn't let it go. Those content and happy smiles and the peaceful backround were too much for her to give up. Alana then, hugged it close to her chest, making a secret promise to herself to never let it out of her sight again. Ever so gently, Alana set the painting back up against the vase, fingering it lovingly for a second longer before settling down into her bed. She kept her head turned to look at the painting, not wanting to take her eyes off of it for even one moment in fear that someone would take it from her. Then, Alana noticed a little note laying not far from the frame.

She reached out with her hand and took the note off of the night stand. After opening it up, Alana's eyes scanned its brief contents quickly, feeling a lump rising in her throat as she read it. Tears blurred her vision, and finally, she let the note just drift to the floor. But still, the words haunted her every thought. It was like they were imprinted in her mind permanently.

_Never give up hope. _

D.M.

Alana shook her head sadly. How could she not give up hope when hope had left her so long ago? Her eyes drifted back to the picture, trying to seek comfort within its bright colors and cheerful setting. That image was the last thing she saw before Alana had drifted into another deep slumber.

**A/N: This chapter didn't seem to take very long to type, but then I saw the scrolling bar and I couldn't believe how long it actually was. I know you all aren't quite satisfied how I left off, but it will get better. Besides, it leaves the question open as to who attacked Alana. Keep that in mind for later chapters. Review.**


	16. Healing Old Wounds

**A/N: Hello everyone. Well, here's the next chapter. It's not much and it was actually hard to write. Well, read and enjoy.**

Chapter 16

Healing Old Wounds

It's not that I can't live without you

It's just that I don't even want to try

Every night I dream about you

Ever since the day you said "goodbye"

If I wasn't such a fool

Right now I'd be holding you

There's nothing that I wouldn't do

Baby, if I only knew

The words to say

The road to take

To find a way back to your heart

What can I do

To get to you

To find a way back to your heart-

"Back to Your Heart"

Backstreet Boys

Alana got many visitors that day. All of her friends came to see her and brought presents for her recovery. Her parents came to visit her near five or so at night. Many tears were shed and many hugs were shared. After spending about an hour with their daughter, her parents left. Mia assured them that she'd stay until Alana was able to be up and around without problems. Just as he promised, Draco came back that afternoon and night to see her. They had dinner in the Hospital Wing together since he had brought some food from the Great Hall with him. Alana ate quietly, looking down at her food most of the time. Draco eyed her worriedly as he ate. She hadn't exactly been herself around him after she'd woken up. When he looked into her eyes, they were full of uncertainty and doubt. He was beginning to wonder if she still didn't trust him.

" Alana?" He asked, tentatively.

" Mhmm." She mumbled with her mouth full of potatoes.

" Are...um...are we...okay?" Draco asked, fumbling with his words.

Alana looked up at him in confusion. She reached for her glass of pumpkin juice, keeping her eyes on him as she took a few swigs.

" What do you mean by that?"

" Well, uh...what I mean is...that you seem kind of...stand-offish with me." Draco explained, awkwardly.

She looked at him, refusing the impulse to bite her lower lip. Alana had tried to act as normal as possible around him. Obviously, it hadn't been convincing enough. Draco waited for her answer as she began to pick nervously at her food.

" Everything is fine." She lied, giving him her best fake smile.

Alana knew it was wrong to lie to Draco, but she just didn't feel comfortable around him anymore. He needed to prove that he would never cheat on her. She didn't know how, but he would have to. Then, she noticed the doubtful expression on Draco's face and decided to change the subject.

" So...how were classes today?" She asked, semi-cheerily. " How much work do I have to catch up on?"

" We're almost done with exams. I'm supposed to bring up some of your essays and stuff tomorrow." He told her, obliging that she didn't want to talk about "them" right now. " But, you'll have to do some of the work in private sessions with the professors."

She merely nodded in response. Draco wanted to keep a conversation going so he put in to get her more hopeful, " Madame Pomfrey said that you could be out of here in a day or two, if you keep getting better at this rate. Isn't that great?"

" Yeah." Alana replied, half-heartily picking at the last of her choclate pudding. " How are the parties?"

" Boring without you." He answered, smiling at her fondly.

Alana looked up from her dinner at his statement. Draco just continued to smile back at her as he reached over and took one of her hands into his. She watched as he stroked it gently, feeling waves of comfort washing over her. Her eyes looked back up into his, locking intently on their endless gray depths. Then, gathering the courage to do so, Draco started to lean forward ever so slowly. Alana's breath caught in her throat as she felt his warm, intoxicating breath on her lips. Before their lips made contact, Alana turned her head to the side, and Draco's lips brushed against her cheek. He pulled away, looking at her in confusion.

Alana just stared back at him nervously. Her eyes glanced at him before settling over at her night stand. She didn't want to see that hurt look on his face.

" It's getting late. I should get some rest for tomorrow." Alana said more to herself than to him.

Draco nodded in a daze before flicking his wand at her plate on the bed tray and making it disappear. Then, he stood up and watched sadly as Alana settled back into her hospital bed. She pulled the sheets over herself and lied down. He gazed at her before running an uncertain hand through his hair and saying, wearily, " I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

" Okay." Alana answered, softly, avoiding his gaze.

Draco leaned down and cupped her chin with his index finger, bringing her eyes to his. He smiled warmly before kissing her forehead lightly.

" Sweet dreams, Love." He whispered.

" Sweet dreams, Draco." She replied, quietly.

" I love you, you know?"

That only earned a saddened gaze from Alana. She tried to keep her tears back as she nodded her head.

" I know."

He kissed her forehead again before walking towards the door. Alana watched as the door closed behind him. She turned and blew the candle on her night stand out, bathing the room in darkness as she laid down. Tears flowed from her closed eyes, and she cried herself to sleep that night.

The next day, Draco kept his word and brought her essays and other exam materials up to her. He left soon after, saying that he wouldn't distract her from her work. But, Alana could tell he was still hurt from last night. She tried to push Draco out of her mind as she wrote her essays for History of Magic, Charms, and Transfiguration. When noon came, Jezebel was the one who brought Alana lunch. She set her half-finished on the properties of wolf's bane for Potions as Jezebel pulled up her bed tray.

" I hear you're getting out of this dump tomorrow." Jezebel said, brightly, conjuring up plates and setting out the sandwiches she'd brought.

" Yeah, Madame Pomfrey said I could leave right after dinner." Alana replied, eyeing the food with ravenous hunger. " I guess I'm getting stronger much quicker since I'm awake."

" And how do you feel _personally_?" Jezebel inquired with a smirk.

" Like I've been asleep for a hundred years." Alana replied, smiling at Jezebel's laugh. " I don't know. It just takes a lot of energy to do things, even simple tasks."

" Well, I hope you perk up soon. The Year's End Ball is next week." Jezebel told her, digging into her applesauce.

Then, she surveyed the melancholy look on Alana's face.

" I'm sorry, Alana." She said, quickly. " I didn't mean to upset you. I was just..."

" I know. It's okay." Alana remarked, brushing it off as if it were nothing. " It's not your fault."

" I should have thought before I spoke, though." Jezebel objected, shaking her head. " I have a bad habit of that. "

" Jez, really...it's alright." Alana assured her with a weak smile.

But, Jezebel could tell it wasn't alright. She knew that Alana was struggling within herself about Draco. Jezebel remembered clearly how much Alana had been hurt before all of this had happened. She remembered the Alana that wouldn't come out of her dorm and just slept her sorrows away. But, she also, remembered how Draco wouldn't quit trying to get her back and how he hadn't left her side for very long while she was in her coma. Jezebel knew that it would take a lot for Alana to finally be convinced that Draco loved her and only her.

The rest of the day flew by and before anybody knew it, it was Thursday night; the night Alana got released from the Hospital wing. The whole group had come to see her get out of the hospital bed for the first time in almost four weeks. Mia had helped her get dressed earlier and was now standing by her bed, ready to help her up. Alana looked at everyone and started to laugh at their eager faces.

" Geez, you all look like you're about to witness a miracle or something." She said, shaking her head.

" Well, if you really think about it, technically we are." Jezebel replied with a wink.

Draco stood nearby, watching Alana anxiously. Mia took one of Alana's arms as she started to push off of the bed. When she first stood up on her legs, Alana felt unsteady. Her legs felt like rubber; all wobbly and weak. She swayed slightly before balancing herself. After staying like that for a second, she nodded to her sister, who released her hesitantly. Slowly but surely, Alana walked forward as if it was her first time. She started towards the door, but in too much of a hurry and began to fall forward. Draco rushed over and caught her. Alana clutched onto his arm tightly as she straightened herself. When he looked at her, making sure she was okay, Alana started to blush. The girls giggled slightly, but not loud enough for her to hear.

" Um...Draco?"

" Yeah?" He asked her, looking at Alana in concern.

" You can let go of me now." She told him, quietly, trying to hide the deep profusion of pink on her cheeks.

His mouth from an "o" as he understood and released her. Mia and Draco helped her to her dorm, walking four steps behind her. Alana had insisted on walking by herself. They watched her like hawks, making sure that she didn't trip and fall. When they finally got there, Mia carries Alana's bag full of her books, papers, gifts, ect., while Draco and Alana stood at the door.

" I guess I'll see you tomorrow in classes." Alana murmured, turning to go in.

Draco caught her arm before she did, and Alana looked back at him with a slightly shocked expression.

" Alana, " Draco said, " I want you to know that I never loved anyone, but you. I know you're still recovering, but I hate it when you shut me out like this."

" I'm not..."

" It's okay, I understand." He interrupted, putting a hand to her cheek. " I know what happened between us is still eating away at you, but you need to understand that Pansy means nothing to me. She always will be nothing. It's you I love. It's you I dream about kissing and holding in my arms. It's you I will only ever make love to."

Alana looked deep into his eyes, searching for any signs of him lying to her. She could see nothing, but love and hope pouring from his stormy orbs. Draco looked at her pleadingly, waiting for a response. With that, Alana leaned in and brushed her lips over his lightly. She let them linger briefly before pulling away. Draco's eyes widened at her bold move, but his heart soared. Maybe there was still hope for them. Alana looked around nervously before bringing her eyes back to him.

" I need to go. Tomorrow will be stressful for me, and I need to be well-rested for my make-up exams." Alana explained.

" Okay, I'll see you tomorrow." He said, kissing her cheek affectionately.

As Alana turned to go into her room, Draco remembered something and said, " Alana, wait!"

Alana looked over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow as if to say "what?".

" Jez is having a party tomorrow night in the Room of Requirement for your recovery." Draco told her. " It would be bad for the guest of honor to show up without a date. Would you..."

" Yes." She answered, immediately.

He looked at her, stunned. It was then that Alana gave him the first warm, sincere smile he'd seen from her in the longest time. Draco smiled back at her, unable to hide his joy.

" Great!"

" Be by to pick me up at six o'clock sharp." Alana explained. " And don't be late. You know I hate to be kept waiting."

" Six o'clock." He assured her, turning to leave. " Sleep well, Love. I'll see you tomorrow."

" See you tomorrow. Sweet dreams, Draco." She said before going into her room and shutting the door behind her.

Draco hurried down the stairs and jumped off of the last step. Cleo, who was sitting on a nearby couch in the Common Room, looked at him with a raised eyebrow and asked, " What has you in such a good mood?"

" I have a date for tomorrow's party." He answered, smugly.

Cleo just shook her head and went back to reading her magazine, muttering something like " I don't know what she sees in him". Draco left the Ravenclaw Common Room and walked down towards the dungeons, happier than he had been in the longest time.

" _I have a date with Alana Kaligaris._" He thought.

**A/N: I know, it was kind of slow, but the next chapter will be a lot better. Review please. I'm still not getting any.**


	17. The Rekindling of Love

**A/N: Hi again. Just to warn you this chapter and the next are extremely long. But this chapter is probably my best. Well, read and enjoy. **

Chapter 17

The Rekindling of Love

Say you'll share with me one love

One lifetime

Say the word and I will follow you

Share each day with me

Each night, each morning

Say you love me

_You know I do_

Love me

That's all I ask of you-

" All I Ask of You"

Emmy Rossum and Patrick Wilson

The next day was hard for Alana. Not only was she still incredibly weak, but she had missed a _month_ of classes! Thankfully, she managed to catch up on all of her exam stuff during lunch and free period, so she didn't have to spend time after dinner with any professors. That night, Mia helped her get ready for the party. Alana wore a white, strapless, babydoll dress with rose pink, lilac, and black polka dots on it. The skirt flared out slightly at her waist. A black ribbon wrapped around her tiny waist and had been tied back in a ribbon. Mia zipped her up securely before ushering her over to her vanity.

" Let's see." She muttered, sitting Alana down and playing with her hair. " What shall we do with your hair for tonight?"

" Nothing too fancy." Alana warned, quickly.

" I won't make it fancy," Mia assured her with a giggle, " but we still want it to be cute in an elegant sort of way. Oh, I know!"

She picked up Alana's brushed and parted her hair on both side of her head, gathering half of her hair up into a pony tail. Once that was done, Mia pulled out her wand and curled the rest of her hair. Last, she pinned a dusty, lilac-colored rose slightly above her ponytail. Then, she did Alan's make-up quickly with her wand as well. Alana went through her jewelry box for a necklace and earrings to wear. She selected a black rose necklace. The pendant was made of thin plastic and looked like it was wire that had been bent into the shape of a rose. It hung on a long strand of thin velvet. She fastened it on before clipping on a pair of silver earrings with a black, pear-shaped bead at the end. They hung about two inches from her earlobe, brushing against her upper neck when she moved her head.

" Aren't you going to take the other necklace off?" Mia asked, looking at Alana's reflection in her mirror as Alana sprayed her _Live_ perfume on her neck and on her wrist.

After rubbing her wrists together, Alana fingered her promise ring subconsciously before shaking her head.

" No, it looks fine." Alana answered, slipping a plastic, black, pearl bracelet on her right wrist.

Mia smiled knowingly as she walked over to Alana's closet and pulled a pair of black, beaded heels out for her sister to wear. The shoe didn't have a back, but ended in a one-toe point in the front. A flower and butterfly design was embelished on the shoes with the black beads. She set them down at Alana's feet, who slipped them on fluidly. When she stood up, the two inch heel made Alana come to eye level with her sister.

" I didn't want you to have too much heel." Mia explained as Alana examined herself in the mirror. " It would have made it a little harder for you to stand if they were too high."

Alana nodded and gestured for her sister to get her black shawl that was lying on her bed. Mia brought it to her, and Alana took it with a smile before putting it about her shoulders. The soft, velveteen material felt good against her skin. Her older sister rolled her eyes and adjusted the shawl to where it rested in the crook of Alana's arms.

" You've always had problem with wearing strapless dresses and shawls at the same time." Mia scolded with a smile. " The point is to leave your shoulders exposed."

" Whatever." Alana replied, turning to her. " I don't see a difference."

Before they got into an argument, there was a knock on Alana's door. She smiled and hurried over to the door. Before she opened it, Alana smoothed out her dress and made sure her hair was perfect. When she finally did open the door, Draco stood there with his hands in the pockets of his dark blue jeans casually. He smirked at Alana's outfit, looking her up and down intently. Alana smiled when she noticed that he was wearing black, just like her. His button-down shirt was left untucked from his jeans, fitting him perfectly.

" I almost forgot how sexy you could look when you set your mind to it." Draco told her with a devilish grin.

Alana blushed terribly, while her sister raised an eyebrow. Then, Draco shook his cuff up his wrist and looked at his platinum watch.

" Wow, one minute after six." He said in a drawl before offering her his hand. " We had better get going."

Alana took it shyly. He led her out of the door, and they were about to proceed down the stairs, when Draco turned around and said to Mia, " Don't expect her back 'til late."

" Just take good care of her, Draco." Mia replied with a laugh. " That's all I ask."

" Don't worry." He said, smirking back at Alana. " I will. You don't need to worry about that."

The two left Ravenclaw Tower and started up towards the Seventh floor. They had to stop a few times for Alana to rest, but otherwise it only took them ten minutes to get there. Draco did the secret knock on the door to the Room of Requirement, and a boy opened the door. He smiled when he saw them and shouted back into the room, " She's here! Took you long enough, Malfoy!"

" Sorry, Smith. You know how girls are when it comes to parties." Draco replied. " They have to take forever, so they look just right. Now, let us in."

Smith stepped aside to allow them entrance, and Draco turned towards Alana.

" Ready?" He asked, looking at her sincerely.

" Uh huh." She answered.

" Good."

Then, he led her into the room. The Room of Requirements had been decorated with " Welcome Back Alana!" banners and brightly-colored streamers. Lights flashed different colors periodically. It was a full house that night, and people were cheering as she came in, raising their classes and everything.

" There she is!" Jezebel yelled from her place on the stage, her wand at her throat to amply her voice. " Our guest of honor has arrived!"

An even bigger cheer went up throughout the room.

" And it looks like her old flame is escorting her!" She added with a wink to Alana. " So typical!"

Draco and Alana shook their heads; both starting to blush slightly. Then, Jezebel turned to the DJ and shouted, " How about a song for the couple!"

Draco looked at Alana and asked, while gesturing to the dance floor, " Shall we?"

" Sure." Alana said with a shrug. " I need to see if my dancing has gotten rusty, too."

Draco led her out there and pulled her close to him. Alana gasped as her body came in close contact with his. Pleasure surged through her, and she stared up at him in shock. Draco smirked and whispered into her ear, " That's not possible."

The DJ flicked his wand at the player to start up the song. A familiar, electric guitar solo came on, and Alana started laughing.

" Oh my God!" She shouted over the loud music.

Draco just smirked and started to move his body against hers.

_Let me know that I've done wrong_

_When I've know this all along_

_I go around a time or two_

_Just to waste my time with you_

_Tell me all that you've thrown away_

_Find out games you don't want to play_

_You are...the only one_

_That needs to know_

Alana had forgotten the last time she'd danced to All-American Rejects, but felt good. She threw off her shawl, letting Ginny catch it and lay it on the nearest chair. Draco smirked at her as his hands slid down to grasp her hips firmly.

_I'll keep you my dirty little secret_

_Dirty little secret_

_Don't tell anyone or _

_You'll be just another regret_

_Just another regret_

_Hope that you can keep it_

_My dirty little secret_

A part of Alana thought that the song was appropiate. Was that what Pansy had been? Draco's dirty little secret? But, as she moved her body with his and took in his carefree smirk, Alana was drug out of her thoughts and into what was going on at the moment.

_Who has to know_

_When we live such fragil lives_

_It's the best way we survive_

_I go around a time or two_

_Just to waste my time with you_

_Tell me all that you've thrown away_

_Find out games you don't want to play_

_You are...the only one _

_That needs to know_

Draco saw the conflict in Alana's eyes and became worried. He could feel by the tension in her body that he was losing her. So, he brought her lower body even closer to his and seperated her legs, sandwiching one of his in between hers. Then, he started to grind himself on her, encouraging her to do this new, erotic dance with him. Alana's eyes fluttered slightly in arousal, and she obliged by moving even closer to him. They both ignored the wolf whistles that they recieved and just gazed deep into each other's eyes.

_I'll keep you my dirty little secret_

_Dirty little secret_

_Don't tell anyone or_

_You'll be just another regret_

_Just another regret_

_Hope that you can keep it_

_My dirty little secret_

_Who has to know  
The way she feels inside  
Those thoughts I can't deny  
These sleeping dogs won't lie  
And now I try to lie  
It's eating me apart  
Trace this life out  
_

Draco had never seen this clearly into Alana's soul before. For the first time, he saw the true suffering she'd gone through. He saw her pain; her sorrow. It was almost like he felt what she had felt right then. Their bodies moved in sync with the rhythm subconsciously. Now, it was just about learning about the past.

_I'll keep you my dirty little secret_

_Secret_

_Don't tell anyone or_

_You'll be just another regret_

_Just another regret_

_I'll keep you my dirty little secret_

_Dirty little secret_

_Don't tell anyone or_

_You'll be just another regret_

_Just another regret_

_Hope that you can keep it_

_My dirty little secret_

_Dirty little secret _

_Dirty little secret_

_Who has to know_

_Who has to know_

That question seemed to linger in the air as the song came to an end. Alana and Draco stopped dancing, gasping for air. It was like they had just surfaced from deep down within themselves. All of a sudden, Alana felt weak. Her legs started to shake, and she leaned more on Draco. He looked down at her in concern as she rested her head on his chest.

" Are you okay?" He asked, rubbing her back.

" Yeah," She replied, nodding her head, " I just need to sit down for a second."

" Okay."

Draco ushered her over to the nearest chair. Alana's friends walked over to her in a hurry.

" Alana, are you okay?" Ginny asked in a worried tone, kneeling down beside her and taking her hand.

" Yeah, I'm fine." She replied with a wave of her hand. " A glass of water would be much appreciated, though."

Hannah rushed off to get it for her. Draco sat on the arm of the chair and put an arm around her shoulders.

" Are you sure you're okay?" Draco asked, looking into her eyes.

" Draco, quit worrying." Alana said with a nervous laugh. " I just over-exerted myself a little, that's all."

Alana knew full well what Draco had seen while they were dancing, and now it concerned her more than anything. He could use those feelings; her emotions, to his advantage if he wanted to. But as she looked into his stormy eyes, all she saw was pure concern.

" I shouldn't have requested that song." Jezebel voiced, running a hand through her black hair. " I should have known better."

" Don't blame yourself, Jez." Alana told her, not taking her eyes off of Draco's. " I'm just not completely recovered yet."

" Is there anything else we can do for you?" Cleo asked, hopefully.

" Yeah, "Alana answered, looking at all of them with a weak smile, " you could quit obsessing over me. I'm fine. Just let me rest for a minute or two."

They all nodded and sat down around her. Fifteen minutes passed slowly as the group just sat there and chatted lightly. Draco looked down at Alana with a frown. He could tell by how rigid she had been sitting in his embrace that entire time that she still wasn't comfortable with him. Was she beginning to regret him again? He needed to prove to Alana that he was worthy of her love. Then, an idea dawned on him! Maybe this would work.

" Alana, are you up for another dance?" Draco asked, looking down at her with a smile.

She looked up at him; her expression showing that she wasn't certain.

" How about a slow one?" He encouraged, standing up and offering her his hand.

It was almost a plea; a very small one. Draco just wanted her to understand. He hated her not trusting him. The mere thought of it was almost unbearable. Alana thought for a second before nodding and saying, " I guess it won't kill me."

She took his hand, and the two went out onto the dance floor just as the previous song ended. Draco walked over to the DJ to request a song before coming back over to Alana. He smiled as he wrapped his arms around her waist and gently pulled her close to him.

" I know you'll like this song." Draco told her as she draped her arms around his neck.

" Really?" She replied with a slight smirk.

The instrumental introduction started out slow. Draco led her in a slow dance, making her body sway slowly along with his.

_I'm not a perfect person_

_There's many things _

_I wish I didn't do_

_But I continue learnin'_

_I never meant to do_

_Those things to you_

_And so I have to say_

_Before I go_

_That I just want you to know_

_I found a reason for me_

_To change who I used to be_

_A reason to start over new_

_And the reason is you_

Alana couldn't believe the song he'd chosen. Was this how he felt? Was he apologizing to her? She couldn't rightly tell at the moment. Her body relaxed slightly as she went back to their first slow dance together. Alana rested her head on his chest, bringing one hand down to his shoulder and the other to palm the nape of his neck. Draco smiled down at her contently before leaning his head onto hers. He held her protectively in a gentle, yet firm embrace. The familar safety and comfort that she used to feel in Draco's arms returned once again. Again, she new what bliss truly was.

_I'm sorry that I hurt you_

_It's something I must live with everyday_

_And all the pain I put you through_

_I wish that I could take it all away_

_And be the one that catches all your tears_

_That's why I need you to hear_

_I found a reason for me_

_To change who I used to be_

_A reason to start over new_

_And the reason is you_

_And the reason is you_

_And the reason is you_

_And the reason is you_

_I'm not a perfect person_

_I never meant to do_

_Those things to you_

_And so I have to say_

_Before I go_

_That I just want you to know_

_I found a reason for me_

_To change who I used to be_

_A reason to start over new_

_And the reason is you_

_I found a reason to show_

_A side of me you didn't know_

_A reason for all that I do_

_And the reason is you_

The song faded out and many of the couples that had been dancing stopped to clap. But, one couple just kept holding each other. They stood right in the middle, holding each other in a tight embrace. When Alana looked up at Draco, she had tears in her eyes. Draco's had a slight sheen to them as well from tears that he wouldn't allow to fall.

" You are my reason, Alana. You have changed my former life into something wonderful; something I never want to give up. Please," Draco pleaded in a choked up whisper, " forgive me for putting you through so much pain. Please, find it in your heart to forgive me."

Alana merely nodded her head and buried her face back into his chest. She cried for how stupid she had been not to believe Draco in the first place. She cried for how much pain and misery she'd put him through for the past two months. But most of all, Alana cried for how long it had taken her to realize this. How could she have been so blind? How could she let her anger and hurt cloud her better judgement? Draco rubbed her back comfortingly, whispering endearments in her ear softly. Finally, Alana looked back up at him and murmured for only him to hear, " I want us to be alone. Take me to where it all began, Draco."

" What do you mean?" He asked, a little confused by this.

" I want to finish what we'd started that night two months ago. The night we'd been separated." Alana explained, desperately. " Please, take me down to where the Slytherins dwell."

Draco finally understood what she meant and nodded solemnly. As they walked over to the group, Alana's friends began to worry when they saw tears in her eyes. Before anyone could ask, Draco said, " Someone give me Alana's shawl. We're leaving."

" Is everything okay?" Jezebel asked, worriedly.

" Everything's fine." Draco hissed, impatiently. " Just give me the bloody shawl!"

Jezebel's worried look turned to one of understanding, and she began to smirk as she reached for Alana's shawl. Draco grabbed it from her and put it about Alana's shoulders carefully. Alana bid her friends goodbye before she and Draco hurried out of the Room of Requirement. They nearly flew down to the dungeons. When they came to the Slytherin Common Room, it was empty. They hurried up to Draco's dorm, and his door nearly got it's password beaten into it by it's master. After they were both inside, Draco shut the door behind them, locking it securely.

Alana stopped dead in her tracks. The room wasn't as cold as she remembered it. In fact, it looked very different. Draco had groups of candles of all sizes on his dressers and night stands. The lights were off, giving the room a warm glow. There were red rose petals all over the black, goose-down comforter of his bed. That's when it dawned on Alana. He had done all of this for her! The candles, the rose petals; all for her! She put a hand to her mouth and tried to keep her tears back. Draco came up behind her and wrapped his arms gently around her slim waist. Oh, it felt so good to hold her like this again. She was just meant for his arms. He kissed her neck contently before leaning his head against hers again. Alana turned her head towards him and asked in an incredulous tone of voice, " You knew I was coming here tonight? You did all of this just for me?"

" I remember telling you once that I'd do anything to make you happy." Draco answered her, quietly. " That is still true to this day."

Then, he turned her completely around in his arms, looking deeply and passionately into her eyes.

" Alana, I would do anything for you. Know that. Your happiness is my happiness. Your pain is my pain. I feel everything you feel." He told her, raw emotion in his tone. " We are connected in a special way. I truly believe that we are soulmates and that we are meant for each other. All I want is you and your love for now and for always. That's all I will ever need, if you will give it to me."

" Oh Draco..."

" I love you so much, Alana Kaligaris. Please, I need you so badly to come back into my life. I will never hurt you ever again, I swear by it." Draco promised in a plea, leaning his forehead against hers, closing his eyes for second before opening them again. " Please, tell me that you love me. I...I need to hear you say it."

Alana looked up at him and stared deeply into his eyes. Then, she took Draco's hands into hers and kissed his knuckles gently.

" I love you, Draco Malfoy." She whispered, softly to hide her choked-up tone. " I love you with everything I am. You hold the keys to unlocking my heart."

" Thank you." He choked. " Thank you, Alana Kaligaris, for teaching me what love really was. Thank you for taking off my mask when I believed that no one else could."

" No, it's you I should be thanking. If it weren't for you, I'd probably be misunderstood forever, feeling like I was truly alone in the world. I never want us to be apart ever again. Promise that you'll always be there for me." Alana begged, quietly.

" I promise, Alana, I promise. Please, stay with me tonight. I...I need you to stay." Draco replied, looking down at her.

" I'll stay." Alana murmured, brokenly.

The two stayed like that for the longest time with their eyes closed, just absorbing in each other as if to memorize everything about them. It was almost like they were scared that this was only another dream; one of many they both had experienced many times since their separation. Finally, it was Alana who broke the silence.

" Draco?"

" Yes, my love?" He asked, quietly.

" Draco...I...I need you to do something for me." She told him, tentatively.

" And what would that be, Love?"

" I...I..." Alana studdered, looking at the ground nervously.

" It's okay." He assured her, cupping her chin and bringing her eyes back up to his, so he could gaze into her beautiful sapphire pools once more. " You can tell me anything. You know that."

" Draco...I n...need you. I...I need _all_ of you tonight." Alana explained, her body beginning to tremble along with her hands as she reached up to cup his face. " Everything you have to offer me. I...I need to know w...what it's like t...to be whole again."

Draco's eyes widened as he understood what Alana was asking him to do. She wanted him to make love to her! Was she really going to trust him with something that serious and intimate already? She wasn't tricking him, was she? Oh, he prayed to God she wasn't. Draco wouldn't be able to handle it if she was. Then, he watched as Alana bit her bottom lip and looked back down at the floor. His silence and the stunned look on his face had made her regret asking him that. Slowly, her small, petite hands fell from his face.

" I...I'm sorry." She mumbled, a pink flush creeping onto her face. " I shouldn't ha...have said that..." That's when she felt Draco cup her face gently with his warm hands. Her eyes were brought back up to his as he raised her face. There they remained intently locked, searching each others depths for their true feelings. Then, Draco leaned in and tenderly kissed her. Alana closed her eyes, soaking in the feel of his soft lips working their way at a painful slow pace across hers. It had been so long since they had kissed like this and oh, how it felt so good. Old, familiar feelings were brought back to life after lying dormant for so long. Alana brought her hands up and placed them about Draco's neck. Their bodies shook with longing; their yearning for each other had never been greater than at that one moment. Pulling away suddenly he left her gasping, every inch of her body aching for his touch again; his kiss. Draco smiled down at Alana and whispered in an emotional voice, " Did you mean what you said? Do you really want to feel what it's like to be whole again?"

Alana nodded tearfully. Oh, there was no doubt in her mind that she wanted this. She had agonized over this moment for so long, and nothing would keep her from it any longer. Draco seemed to know this as he pressed his forehead firmly against hers again and a smirk took over his loving smile.

" Then let's find out." He whispered, seductively into her ear.

He pulled Alana back in for another kiss; this one much for lustful and hungry than the last. It was the kind of kiss you could lose yourself in and never want to find your way back out of. His hands slid down to her waist, pulling her firmly to him. A gasp escaped from Alana's mouth into Draco's as she felt a rather hard bulge against her pelvis. Alana brought her hands up and entwined them in his silky, blonde hair. Draco led her over to his bed, making her walk backwards blindly, while still keeping their lips locked in their passionate kiss. When the back of her legs hit the edge, Alana fell back with Draco landing on top of her. They moved farther up the bed until her back was pushed right up against the headboard. Draco ran his tongue along her lower lip, begging for permission to enter her mouth. Alana moaned as she opened for him, feeling him slip in and start to explore everything within his reach. When his tongue came in contact with hers, Alana felt the last bit of her anxiety wash away.

Draco started to work on untying the ribbon around her waist, while she struggled with the buttons to his shirt. They seemed too large for the holes because she just couldn't seem get them unfastened. Finally, Alana got them all undone, allowing his shirt to just hang limply from his shoulders. That's when she felt Draco unzip the back of her dress. It lowly slid down petite frame as their bodies brushed up against each other. Draco's lips began to move down towards her neck, sucking on her tender flesh. He palmed the back of her neck, making it arch in sheer pleasure. His other hand brushed her cheek gently, caressing it with the lightest touch. Alana had missed that touch so much; the touch only her Draco could give her. Her Draco...those two words put together, which used to be so familar to her, were now so foreign.

Alana was brought out of her thoughts when she felt herself become free of her bra. She moaned when Draco's hands cupped each of her breasts gently. He abandoned her neck, only to come down and place tender, wet kisses along the top of her breasts. His eyes met hers briefly before taking one of her nipples into his mouth. Her toes curled in ecstacy as she rolled her eyes into the back of her head, eyelids fluttering. Draco had forgotten the kind of effect he could have on Alana when he tried and it also reminded him of how only he could ever make her feel this way. This excited him, and he massaged her a little more intently. Her moans were driving him wild. It was becoming harder for him not to lose complete control of himself. Draco grabbed her arms firmly, making Alana slide slowly down the bed with him. Alana's head rested comfortably on a pillow, allowing her to relax further, while Draco pleasured her.

After massaging the other nipple in a similar fashion, Draco came back up to kiss her already bruised lips. Alana managed to unfasten her necklace and earrings before pulling off her bracelet. She placed them on one of the night stands blindly without breaking the kiss. He pulled her dress off of her the rest of the way and threw it to the floor almost in annoyance that it had kept his beloved shielded from him. Alana now lay in front of him only in her black lace undergarmet. A smirk graced his lips, knowing that it would come off soon enough. As he towered her, focusing most of his weight on his hands that were splayed out on both sides of her body, Alana pushed his shirt from its place on his shoulders, discarding it carelessly. His chest gleamed in the candle light with a slight sheen of sweat already forming on his pale skin. She ran her hands across his chest painfully slow, feeling his muscles twitch underneath her gentle touch. Everything became familar to her again as it had the other times they had made love to each other. That seemed so long ago to her, but she didn't care anymore. Alana was living for _this _moment, and this moment alone.

Draco felt her drape an arm around his neck to pull herself closer to him. Before he knew what had happened, Alana's lips were on his exposed chest, kissing his skin tenderly. Draco moaned, unable to get enough of the burning sensation her lips left impressed on his skin. Alana kissed all the way from his chest to his six-pack; each kiss more loving than the last. Draco ran a hand fluidly down the graceful curve of her waist and hip as Alana's lips found their way back up to his, claiming them greedily as if he were the very air she breathed. Then, he brought his hand back up to her head and unclipped her rose, throwing it somewhere onto the floor before pulling her hair out of its semi-ponytail. Her hair cascaded down her back in silky waves from the curls, just the way he had always liked it. Suddenly, a jerking became apparant from his belt buckle. Alana was struggling to get it off. Draco slid his tongue out of her mouth, caressing her upper lip as he did so before looking down and watching her pull at his belt. His eyes closed, and he tilted his head back, pressing his lower body against hers to let her feel his need.

" Hurry, Love." He pleaded before groaning impatiently. " Ooooh, I need you bad."

" Mmhmmm..." She moaned in response.

After a few more seconds of struggling to get it unfastened, Alana sucessfully pulled his belt off and threw it moodily to the floor before working at the button and zipper to his jeans hurriedly. When Draco felt them loosen around his lower waist, he helped Alana slip them off of his lean legs, leaving his boxers for last. Alana could clearly see his bulging member straining through the silky material of his boxers. His hard-on felt painful and to let her know this, Draco ground himself hard into her. Alana moaned even louder than before. She couldn't believe how much she wanted him. Her need had never been this great before and God did it feel so fucking good. She opened her eyes slowly and looked up into his, seeing her lust mirrored back in his stormy gray orbs. Draco gazed into her eyes passionately and smirked with his lips slightly parted as he pulled her panties off with ease. Alana closed her eyes in desire, waiting for him to do what she knew was coming. His smirk grew as he placed the palm of his hand over her entrance. A small hiss escaped her lips. He watched her expression as his fingers searched for her core before finding it and rubbing her as hard as he could. Alana's legs just spread even farther apart, fitting his arousal in between them. She moved her lower body against his in the rhythm that he had set. Her moaning increased rapidly, wanting to feel more of what he had to offer her. Alana arched her neck when she felt Draco enter two fingers into her, but still continuing to rub her with his thumb. He had never felt her more wet than she was at that moment. Her fluids were already starting to run down his hand. As he pumped his fingers quickly in and out of her, Draco sucked on her neck with equal attention.

" Oooh Alana..." He moaned, huskily, tracing circles on her perfect skin his tongue, " ooooh...I want you so badly this time." Alana whimpered in response. This went on for the longest time before Alana's body shivered with climax. Draco pulled away from her neck and removed his fingers from deep inside of her. He sat up and brought his fingers up to his mouth, licking off her fluids sensually. Alana watched him do this and became exceedingly turned on by it. When he lowered himself back onto her and brushed his lips over hers, Alana uttered in a small plea, " Don't stop! Please...don't stop!"

Draco raised his head slightly and smirked before whispering with a deep, throaty chuckle, " Oh, my fair lady, I don't plan on stopping any time soon. I'm going to show you what you've been missing all of these lonely months."

He kissed her lips one more time before trailing his down her neck and chest, continuing on past her taunt stomach. Then, Draco kissed her inner thigh before resting his mouth on her entrance. Alana gave a whimpering moan as she felt his hot lips and breath against her most sensative area. Her thighs hugged his head in spurts of arousal as he washed her over with his soft, velvety tongue. She gripped the pillow near her head tightly; her breathing coming in fast, ragged gasps. Draco took a firm hold of her hips and pulled her even closer to him. His eyes glanced up at hers lustfully before closing them as he performed this task tenderly. But it was when he delved his tongue deep inside of her, that Alana completely went over the edge. She'd never in her entire life experienced the feeling that Draco was giving her before. It was almost too much for her to handle.

" Dra...DRACO!!!!" She screamed as her eyes scrunched close. " Do...do you kn...know what you're...you're doing to me? O...oh God!"

He uttered a groan in response, pushing her hips down roughly when she tried to arch them. Draco knew perfectly well what he was doing to her. Never before had he done something like this with Alana. He'd always been afraid she'd find it disgusting and perverted, but he didn't ever realize how wrong he'd been. When she came with her second orgasm, Draco felt her inner muscles clench around his tongue strongly. He pulled away from her entrance and moved back up her body towards her mouth. He kissed her passionately on the lips, letting her feel his want and need. Both were desperate and needed to be sated quickly before he exploded from keeping them bottled up for so long.

" Please, Alana," He begged, his lips brushing against hers, " please, let me inside of you. I'm begging you to allow me entrance. Let me make us one as I used to."

" Oh Draco, you never need to ask that of me. I'm yours...for now and forever." Alana told him, gazing deeply into his eyes. " Make love to me, my love. Make us one."

He groaned in response as Alana pulled off his boxers slowly. Draco's manhood seemed to spring out from its entrapment. Alana felt him rub up against her hard, and it just increased her desire to feel him inside of her. This time...she didn't give a damn if he used the birth control spell or not. She was his and he hers. What would it matter in the end? Draco looked down as he situated himself right at her opening. He looked back up into Alana's eyes, making sure she really did want this. As if knowing his question, she nodded her head slightly, smiling lovingly up at him. With that, Draco swooped down and kissed her deeply as he pushed into her. Alana's body tensed at the intrusion, and the pain of her first time returned. It was due to her lack of practice since they'd been apart, which she now deeply regretted. Alana released a whimper laced with pain into Draco's mouth. Her arms wrapped themselves tightly around his waist; hands clutching desperately at his back.

As he continued to push himself even deeper inside of her, Draco noticed tears spilling out of her tightly-shut eyes. His lips parted from hers, and he heard her as she took in painful gasps of air. It broke his heart to hear her soft and pitiful cries. The pain had never been this terrible before. Draco lowered his lips back down to her face, kissing her tears lovingly and tenderly away. When he'd pushed into her as far as he could go, he buried his head in the crook of her neck.

" Alana," He whispered in a sorrowful tone, " oh my dear sweet Alana, please don't cry. Don't cry anymore, my love. It breaks my heart when you do. Each tear you shed wounds me even further."

" I...I'm s...sorry, " She breathed, helpessly, " i...it just h...hurts so much!"

" Ssssh...it'll be okay. I promise." He assured her, tenderly. " Just relax, I won't hurt you anymore. This is the last time, I swear."

Alana nodded her head tearfully, trying to muffle her cries.

" H...hold me, Draco." She pleaded with a whimper. " I...I need you to hold me."

Draco wrapped his arms around her back, gathering her petite form to him. He raised his head and cupped her cheek with one hand. Then, he kissed her lips softly, trying to distract her from the pain. It was like he was begging her to pay more attention to him than the pain. Alana did so, kissing him with as much passion as she had in her. Their bodies began to argue back and forth, pushing against one another furiously for dominance. When the pain finally subsided, Alana ended the kiss by nodding her head and saying in a whisper, " I'm okay. Please, my Draco, please take me away. I want to leave this place far behind. Please...take me to the stars, Draco."

He nodded, and they laced their fingers together before he started to rock into her slowly. His pace was slow and sensual, but Alana would not have wanted it any other way. This was all so perfect; so wonderful. Alana wrapped her legs behind his firm ass, urging Draco even closer to her. Her hips moved in sync with his; their bodies gliding passionately against each other. They held each other in a tight embrace as Draco picked up the pace a little. Alana felt completely weak against him as he began to thrust into her quicker and harder. He gazed down at her lovingly before kissing her lips in a bit of a distracted manner. She reached up and tried to brush a stray piece of his platinum hair behind his ear, but it just fell back into place. Draco took her hand and placed a small kiss on her palm before holding it to his heart. A rapid beating pulsed into her hand, which earned a smile from the beauty beneath him.

But before she knew it, Alana had tears flowing down her face again. What surprised her more was when she saw the same thing occuring with Draco. One of his tears fell on to her cheek, and he brushed it off gently. They didn't know exactly what had brought on their tears. Maybe it was all of the emotions they felt during their love making or just the simple fact that they were together again. It wouldn't be until much later that they realized their love was making them cry together; the love that had managed to bring them back into each other's waiting arms. Never before had they felt as connected with each other as they did then. All of the other times they'd had sex seemed like nothing; that this time was the one true moment that they'd made love to each other. Or maybe it was more like a rekindling of love for that was what was happening. Their love was being rekindled from within the depths of their hearts.

Before they had even wanted to, the lovers had climaxed together. Alana felt Draco fill her with his essense as he hovered stiffly above her. Finally, Draco collapsed onto her exhausted body. His body felt numb as if it would never move again. They both trembled from weakness, unable to make themselves stop. Draco looked down into Alana's eyes as they lay panting heavily together. He smiled weakly, which she returned and cupped his cheek with a shaky hand.

" I love you, Alana Kaligaris." He whispered to her ragidly.

" I love you, too, Draco Malfoy." She murmured back, bringing her lips up to his and kissing him lightly.

They laid there in the candle light for the longest time before Draco had regained enough of his strength to pull his blankets and comforter over them both. He gently pulled his throbbing member out of Alana's entrance and rolled over to lay beside her. Alana turned to him and snuggled closer to his warm body under the green satin sheets. He draped his arms about her, pulling his beloved right up against him. She rested her head on his chest along with a petite hand. The two stayed like that, staring up at his black canopy in thought.

" Your bed is comfy." Alana commented, breaking the silence. " We need to sleep here more often."

" If I'd known you liked it so much, we would have come to my dorm more whenever we were together." Draco chuckled, looking at her with a smile. " I always thought you hated my dorm."

" It used to be so cold. But, I like it this way." Alana explained with sigh, gazing fondly at all of the candles and rose petals. " It's warm and soothing."

" Well, I'm glad that my work is appreciated." He replied, nuzzling her neck affectionately.

Alana giggled at his teasings. She smiled warmly as she gazed into his stormy gray eyes. He returned her smile and kissed her tenderly.

" You're so beautiful." Draco told her, softly as he kissed her lips several times briefly.

" And you're too damn sexy for your own good." Alana retorted.

Draco let out another chuckle before pressing his forehead against hers.

" I missed you so much." He explained, his eyes showing hints of sadness. " I missed your warm, comforting smiles and your gorgeous, radiant eyes and your light, bubbly laughter. I missed waking up with you in my arms every morning."

Alana kissed him and rubbed her cheek against his soothingly.

" Well, you'll never have to miss me ever again." She told him, her eyes staring deeply into his. " I'll always be with you. I promise never to leave your side again. That is a mistake I _won't_ make twice."

" You don't know how happy that makes me, Alana."

" Yes, I do." She whispered into his ear, making him shiver with want. " I'm your soulmate, remember? I feel everything you feel, know everything you know. There are no secrets you can hide from me."

Draco moaned and kissed her lips hungrily. She returned it, pressing herself right up against him. They continued their kiss for a good long while before parting slowly.

" How many have you loved before me?" She breathed, kissing his neck fondly as he climbed back onto her.

" None." He gasped, drawing circles on her back.

" And how many will you love after me?"

Draco opened his eyes and stared down at her intently. He brought her as close as he possibly could to him without crushing her and whispered in her ear, " There will never be an after with you, my Alana. Only now and forever."

**A/N: I'm very proud of myself. I feel like I really captured their love in this chapter. I'll be up-dating soon. Review.**


	18. Remembering Sinister Plots

**A/N: This is by far the longest chapter, and for good reason. Well, I'll leave you all to read the story.**

Chapter 18

Remembering Sinister Plots

A fallen star

At least I fall alone

I can't explain

What you can't explain

You're fighting things

That you didn't know

I look at you with such distain

The walls start breathin'

My mind's unweavin'

Maybe it's best you leave me alone

A weight has lifted

On this evenin'

I give the final blow

When darkness turns to light

It ends tonight

It ends tonight

Just a little insight

Will make this right

It's too late to fight

It ends tonight

It ends tonight-

" It Ends Tonight"

The All-American Rejects

_" Why are you doing this to me?" Alana cried out, weakly. " What have I done to deserve this?" _

_" You stole something from me. Now, I'm taking it back by ridding the world of you." They replied. _

_Alana wished she could just catch a glimse of her captor, but the mirror infront of her had a thick condensation all over the plane of glass from her bath, and her vision was becoming incredibly hazy. She knew that she had already lost a great deal of blood; the proof was all over her body and the floor. The person who was torturing her laughed and held up the dagger for her to see. The jagged blade was coated with her blood in a crimson sheet. Tiny droplets dotted the handle. _

_Also, she could make out bony, deathly pale fingers with long, red nails clutching the handle. Her captor had to be female. Alana knew that she could identify her if her mind hadn't already begun to cloud over from exhaustion. She felt like every inch of her body was going numb from the pain. Her legs were becoming weaker and weaker by the second. Then, Alana felt the girl's breath near her ear. It sent chills up her spine. _

_" Good night, Lil Miss Perfect." She hissed, say the last words mockingly. _

_Alana's eyes would have widened if she'd had the strength. Only one person had ever called her that! _

_" No." She murmured. _

_" Oh yes. This is the end for you. Don't worry...I'll take his mind off of your death. Before long, you'll only become a dim memory in the back of his mind. Draco's in good hands." _

_That's when her captor released her. Alana swore she saw a flash of black hair as she fell. It seemed like everything had gone into slow motion when her body made contact with the hard, cold, marble floor. She lay in a puddle of her own blood, unable to move. Alana shivered because she felt so unbelievably cold. A heartless cackle rang through-out the room before disappearing through the door. Alana continued to lie on the floor; too weak even to groan in pain. It all seemed so hopeless now. Here she was, lying on the floor in the Prefects' bathroom, bleeding to death with no strength to yell for help. She could feel herself waning away with each passing moment. Right now, it seemed like her only choice was to just give up. What was the used in fighting? There was no reason for her to keep on living. If she did give up, Alana could escape not only her physical pain, but her emotional pain as well. She would never have to think about Draco again. Yes, to give up was her only way to freedom. _

_As everything began to darken, a few tears trailed out of her eyes. All of the memories flooded back again. Even as she was dying in the worst possible way, Alana longed for him. No matter how hard she tried to deny it, Alana would always love Draco. Her heart would be his forever more. For the first time in what seemed like ages, she didn't mind. That thought suited her just find. Who was she kidding. Alana couldn't just forget about all that her heart felt for him. She gave one, last lingering smile before closing her eyes and said in a hoarse whisper, " Draco, if you can somehow hear me, I just wanted to say...goodbye. Please, know that no matter what I've said to you, that I love you in everyway imaginable. Do me this one, last favor...never forget me." _

_And with that said, Alana gave one last gasp before she slipped into unconsciousness. Even as she lay there, her voice seemed to echo through-out the room in her last, desperate plea. _

_Never forget me..._

" No!" Alana screamed as she shot up in bed.

Her chest was heaving heavily as she looked around the room quickly. She was terribly frightened as she scanned her dark room for her assailant. The moon cast odd and eerie shadows in the dorm, but otherwise Alana saw no sign of another human in the room. She put a hand to her forehead and tried to calm her breathing as well as her heart because it was still pounding hard against her breastbone. When would this dream ever leave her in peace?

" Alana, are you okay?" A tired voice asked as something sturred beside her. " What's wrong?"

Draco sat up and looked at her worriedly through his exhaustion, confused to why she had screamed and woken him up from otherwise a good night's sleep. She didn't answer him, but just kept staring down at her comforter. Alana could feel that the sheets wrapped around her middle were soaked with sweat. Her body was trembling from fear and wouldn't stop no matter how hard she tried to make it. Sensing her distress, Draco wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her bare shoulder tenderly. Alana visibly relaxed and leaned back against him. He rested his head against hers, and she brought a hand up to palm his cheek.

" Why can't I sleep without being awaken in the night by that horrid nightmare?" She whispered, sorrowfully, trying to keep her tears at bay.

" Oh, you had it again?" He murmured, sympathetically, tightening his grip on her waist and pulling her closer for comfort. " I'm sorry, Love. I'm here now. Nothing will harm you, I promise. Do you want to talk about it?"

" What's to talk about?" She sighed, despairingly. " It was the same. It always is. I hate seeing myself dying each and every night. I hate seeing all that blood. I hate feeling so weak and helpless. I want to be free from this nightmare."

" I know...I know." Draco cooed, kissing her cheek affectionately. " I'm sure it will go away in time."

Alana let out another sigh before turning to Draco. His hair was slightly unkept from sleeping, but his eyes shined in the darkness with a comforting spark. The moonlight gave his porcelean skin a heavenly glow, making Draco seem like a dream himself. She nestled herself up to him, wrapping her arms weakly around him and laying her head against his chest. Draco returned the embrace, kissing her own mussed hair lightly.

" I just want to forget about it. Draco, please," She murmured in a quiet, but desperate plea, " help me forget. I need you to help me forget."

Draco nodded in understanding, gently laying her down on the bed and kissing her lovingly. Alana pulled the blankets over them and just focused on the kiss. Their bodies argued over dominance with what little strength they had left in them. Draco pushed gently with a hand on Alana's shoulder to get her back down onto the bed as she tried to arch against him again. That's when Alana felt him slip out of his boxers and start rubbing up against her with his hard erection. As soon as Draco slipped into her, everything else just disappeared from her mind. He and their love making became her only thought. Alana shut her eyes, letting her tears trail out of them slowly. Draco wiped them away tenderly before leaning down to capture her lips with his. They went on like this until the faint blue light of dawn started to peak in through the windows.

When the two finally climaxed, Draco collapsed on her, staring down at her with eyes filled with both love and worry. He cupped her cheek and kissed her lightly before pulling out of her and moving to take his place beside her. Then, he pulled her into his arms to where she was smotheringly close to him. His legs locked around her own, making sure she remained that way. Alana felt him bury his face in her now damp hair and whisper into her ear, " I'm here, Love. Just remember that. I'll protect you from this dream. You're not alone anymore. I won't leave you."

Alana nodded, trying not to cry again. She knew that she could count on Draco to always be there to protect and comfort her. Ever so slightly she shifted to where her head could rest comfortably under his chin, closing her eyes and praying for a dreamless sleep. Draco kissed her hairline affectionately before settling down to sleep himself.

The next morning, Alana sat in the Common Room in front of the fire silently staring off into the brightly dancing flames blankly. She felt so unbelievably tired that it wasn't even funny. That nightmare had been plaguing her since the night after the party in the Room of Requirement. What puzzled her about it was that she didn't know what it had to do with anything. It seemed somehow familiar, but she didn't know why? Who was the person in her dream that had tried to kill her? In the dream she knew, but when she woke up, Alana couldn't remember. Suddenly, Draco came into the room with two cups of tea in his hands. When he noticed the preturbed look on Alana's face, worry creased his brow. He walked over to her, placing the cups on a small, coffee table before kneeling in front of her.

" Is everything alright?" He asked, softly.

Alana came back down to earth and noticed her love staring at her in concern.

" Yeah..." She sighed, " I was just thinking was all."

" You seem to be doing a lot of that lately." He replied with a smirk. " Even more than usual really."

Alana smiled slightly at his attempt for a joke, but otherwise said nothing. Draco cupped her cheek gently and looking deeply into her eyes. His face became somewhat more serious.

" I'm sure it will go away in time, Love." He assured her with a warm smile. " I've never been wrong about anything that concerns you before."

" I know." She answered, placing a hand on top of his. " Thank the Lord I have you, Draco. You always make things better for me."

" Hey, what can I say? It's my job." He chuckled before giving her one of the teacups. " Now, drink some of this. It will calm your nerves down a little."

That Saturday was rainy one, so everyone stayed in doors, not wanting to be soaked by the May showers. The ball was only five days away, which kept everyone in high spirits. The group went to the Room of Requirement just to hang out for the day. They sat around and chatted or played cards and other games. There was nothing to do really. At one point, Alana was laying on one of the sofas in Draco's warm arms. He played with a strand of her long hair between his fingers lazily. Jezebel and Blaise were in a rather heated game of Texas Hold'em with Ginny as the dealer. Harry sat behind her with his arms around her waist. Ron and Hermione were curled up in a chair, making out passionately and oblivious to everything else around them. Cleo and Ryan were laying together on a large Persian rug that was spread out on the floor; hands entwined as they rested their eyes, while Hannah and Michael were in a similar position.

Suddenly, the peaceful atmosphere was shattered when Blaise turned over his cards and won the game for the fourth time. Jezebel scowled before pounding her hands on the table and yelling, " To bloody hell with this game! What's the point of playing when I can't win?"

Everyone seemed to jump out of their skin from her outburst. Draco looked over at them and raised an eyebrow, while Alana clung to him, still startled. Blaise smirked and replied, " I'm sorry that you're so bad at poker, darling, and have no poker face whatsoever."

" I'm so terribly sorry, darling." Jezebel mimicked in a pout, crossing her arms baby-ishly for added affect. " Neh neh neh..."

Everyone started to laugh, only to recieve a glare from Jezebel. Blaise got up and walked over to his indignant girlfriend, who was pretending to ignore him. He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her neck affectionately.

" Oh come on...schnookums, you can't be mad at me forever." He said, continuing with his kisses.

" Yes, I can." She insisted, though she was losing hopelessly by the look on her face. " Just watch me."

But when Blaise kissed her lips, she gave in and kissed him back. They were really getting into it when Draco yelled, " Hey, get a room! We don't need to see you two necking in here!"

The two separated and smirked over at him.

" It's not like you don't do the same to Alana in public." Jezebel piped up.

Draco opened his mouth, but then closed it.

" True." He admitted, leaning down to kiss the girl in question.

Everyone laughed at this. Alana pushed him playfully away from her, causing him to tumble off of the couch. This just made the group laugh even harder. Draco pretended to glare up at Alana, who had to hold her side because she was laughing so hard.

" You think that's funny, do you?" He asked, raising his eyebrow.

" Yes, actually...I do." She answered with a giggle.

That's when Draco reached up and pulled her down on top of him. They rolled a little to the right, almost colliding with Cleo and Ryan. Finally, Alana got him pinned down. Draco struggled, but it was a vain attempt.

" Nice try, darling." Alana teased, smugly.

" Nice try, darling." He mimicked in a girly tone.

Everyone, including Draco himself, laughed at that one. An hour or two later, the group left the room to go to their Common Rooms before dinner. Alana decided just to go with Draco to his dorm and wait. On their way there, the two passed by Pansy and her little gang of sluts. The lovers hadn't noticed them as they laughed and whispered endearments in each other's ears. Pansy and the other girls glared at Alana with pure resentment for stealing away their Slytherin Prince, but she didn't notice. Her eyes were set on Draco. They were about to pass them all together when Pansy suddenly called out, " Well, if it isn't the Prince of Slytherin himself, Draco Malfoy, and his suicidal girlfriend. Are you going to help her cut her wrists or something?"

Draco came to a dead hault, bringing Alana to one, too, since he had his arms around her waist. He spun around and scowled at Pansy, narrowing his eyes savagely. She merely smirked back at him, pleased with his reaction.

" Why don't you just leave us the hell alone, Pansy?" He snarled, darkly. " Don't you have some bastard that you need to go fuck?"

" I'm sorry, Draco, but you seem to have found another whore, so why would you want me?" She spat back.

" Come on, Draco, let's just go." Alana whispered, pulling desperately on his arm.

" No, I want to straighten the slut out." Draco growled, trying to advance towards Pansy, but Alana help him still.

" Ignore her." Alana pleaded. " Don't stoop to her level."

" Yeah, Draco," Pansy added, mockingly, " don't stoop to my level."

" When are you going to get over me, Pansy?" Draco snapped at her. " I don't understand why you can't move on. Oh wait a minute! I actually do understand! No one in their right mind would want you!"

Pansy's smirk turned to a dark frown rapidly after that comment. Draco however had one curl up on his lips, seeing as how he had struck a nerve.

" You should have known that if I wouldn't take you, no one would." Draco added on for good measure. " All well, I guess you'll just die a lowly whore after all."

" What did you say?" She shouted as he turned to leave. " Wait! Don't you turn your back to me, Draco Malfoy! Look at me when I'm talking to you!"

Draco merely held up an offending finger in response as he and Alana walked away. Pansy stood there seething, glaring icily after the two. Millicent tried to put a hand on her shoulder, but Pansy just slapped it away harshly. Alana looked up at Draco as they proceeded on their way down to the dungeons. His face was still stone cold after his encounter with Pansy. She pulled on his hand, making him stop. Draco just continued to look off into space angrily, not paying attention to her. With a frustrated sigh, Alana pushed him up against the wall and snogged him furiously, not knowing how else to get his attention. His eyes widened in shock at Alana's sudden boldness, but didn't complain. He kissed her back hungrily. He groaned as she allowed him to enter her mouth. Their tongues met in their usual fierce battle over dominance. They continued like this for awhile until they parted for air. Alana leaned against Draco, clutching his shirt as she gasped for breath.

" That was...unexpected." Draco commented with a raised eyebrow. " What brought that on?"

" Oh...nothing. I just wanted to snog you like crazy for no apparant reason. " Alana replied, sarcastically. " What's the matter with you? Why were you so angry after we left her?"

Draco looked to the side in shame and ran a hand through his hair.

" I don't know. It's just...she makes me so angry when she talks about you like that. I can't stand it. It's fine if she insults me. That I'm used to, but I just hate it when people mess with my girl. You know?"

Alana smiled in understanding and gave him a brief, yet lingering kiss, showing him that it was alright.

" I know, but if you don't control that rage of yours, it may just cost you one of these days." Alana warned him.

" Come on, Alana." He chuckled. " It's just Pansy."

" Draco, I'm serious."

" Okay, okay, I'll try to be a little more causious about my temper next time." Draco assured her. " Now, come on. I'd like to take a shower before dinner and if we stay here too much longer, I won't be able to."

" Okay, Mr. Clean." Alana joked.

Draco laughed with her as they continued down the dark corridor. When they finally got to his dorm, Draco started to strip off his clothes as Alana sat on the edge of his bed. She blushed slightly as he took off his boxers. He noticed and smirked, walking over to her.

" What are you blushing about?" He asked. " It's nothing you haven't seen before."

Alana smirked back up at him and pointed towards his bathroom. He just chuckled and walked off towards the bathroom, grabbing his robe that was hanging near the door. Not long after, Alana heard the shower turn on and the sound of the glass door closing. She leaned back on the bed, stretching out lazily and closing her eyes. The soothing sound of running water lulled her into a sense of comfort. Just as Alana was about to fall asleep, a familiar syrupy voice asked, " Well, well, well, alone again are we?"

Alana's eyes flew open and she sat up hurriedly. Standing in the doorway was none other than Pansy. The Slytherin slut stood there with the door slightly open. Alana hadn't even heard her open the door to Draco's dorm! Pansy just smirked back at the shocked look on her face. Soon, though, Alana's look of shock turned to one of hate.

" What are you doing here, Parkinson?" Alana hissed. " No one gave you permission to come into this room."

" I can go anywhere I please." Pansy replied, haughtily, walking farther into the room and leaving the door slightly ajar. " I don't need anyone's permission, especially from a blood traitor such as yourself."

" Just get out of here before I..."

" Before you what?" Pansy laughed, cruelly. " What is a weakling like yourself going to do, Kaligaris?"

That laugh seemed to remind her of something; Alana just wasn't sure what. It was dry and brittle like sand. Pansy's laugh made every hair on her body stand on end. Alana watched her warily as Pansy stalked towards her slowly, calmly.

" What do you want, Pansy?" Alana asked, apprehensively, not trusting her as far as she could throw her.

" I wanted to finish what I'd started, and that involves you, Alana." Pansy explained, saying her name mockingly. " Alana...I don't see how Draco can say it without throwing up."

" Just get out, Parkinson!" Alana told her in a raised voice, pointing towards the door.

" Oh, are you going to go hide behind your little boyfriend now like you always do?" Pansy asked in a baby-ish tone. " Oh, wait a minute! He's not here to protect you anymore. Just like he wasn't there to rescue you last time."

" What in the bloody hell are you going on about, Pansy?" Alana snapped in frustration.

" Oh, that's right," Pansy exclaimed, faining shock, " you don't remember!"

" Remember what?" Alana sneered, getting up from the bed and crossing her arms.

" Tsk tsk...what an awful memory you possess." Pansy commented with an evil smirk, reaching into her cloak. " Well, maybe this will help you remember."

With that, she pulled out a strange looking dagger. Two snakes were engraved in the silver hilt to be entwining upwards. Right in between where their jaws met was a dew-drop-shaped emerald that glinted omniously in the light of the room. The blade was jagged-looking and stained with blood. Alana's eyes widened to a terrifying extent. She _did_ recognize that dagger! Suddenly, images of that horrible night came flooding back to her rapidly. It was as if everything was coming in on fast-forward. She saw everything that had transpired that night. Alana saw her weak form laying on the marble floor in a puddle of her own blood. She saw Pansy smiling evilly from behind her, holding the blood-covered knife up for her to see. Pansy's evil cackled filled her ears once again like a haunting song. But most of all, Alana remembered the fear and helplessness she'd felt consume her as she slowly started to bleed to death. That sickening feeling washed over her again; dread filling her thoughts.

But soon, it was replaced with a sudden burst of blazing rage. Pansy was her assailant! Pansy was the one who had tried to kill her! It was Pansy who had nearly ruined her relationship with Draco and then, tried to murder her so she'd be out of her way permanently! Never before had she loathed someone as ardently as she did that treacherous slut. Alana glared at her darkly; pure loathing burning brightly in her usually-serene, sapphire eyes.

" You!" Alana cried, pointing an accusing finger at Pansy. " You're the one who tried to kill me! You sunk so low as to try to commit murder, just to win back a guy who hates you with every fiber of his being! You pathetic, little, worm of a girl! That was low even for you! What do you have to say for yourself?"

" I suppose this is where I'm supposed say that you've got it all wrong and that I'd never try to murder you. But that would just be a waste of my valuable time." Pansy commented, faking a yawn of boredom. " Fine, I admit it. I tried to kill you! A lot of good it did me, too! That stupid mudblood Granger and blood traitor Weasleyette found you before you lost too much blood! I shouldn't have toyed around with you. All well...I won't make that same mistake twice."

" There is no way in Hell that I'm letting a fucking whore like you kill me!" Alana retorted, pulling out her wand.

Pansy sighed and rolled her eyes in annoyance before shaking her head and pulling out her own wand. Alana eyed it warily as she raised it towards her.

" I'd hoped that you wouldn't put up much of a fight, but I guess I was wrong." Pansy said, stalking closer to her. " It doesn't matter, though. This won't take long."

Before she even said an incantation, Alana fired a jet of red light towards her! Pansy didn't have time to run before it hit her square in the chest and sent her flying up against the wall behind her. She slid down the wall with a groan before glaring daggers at Alana.

" You'll regret that one, Kaligaris." She said through her teeth.

" I told you once before that I know spells that you haven't even dreamed of." She retorted, smugly. " I'm about to show you what I was talking about."

" Oh, I'm so scared that I'm shaking in my boots." Pansy replied, sarcastically, getting to her feet.

Alana sent another spell at her, but Pansy dodged it and sent one of her own towards Alana. The Ravenclaw ducked behind one of the posters to Draco's bed. The spell was reflected and sent towards Pansy. She conjured up a shield that just absorbed the spell. The shield disappeared, and she walked briskly towards Alana.

" _Expelliarmus_!" Alana shouted, a jet of green flying towards her opponant.

It hit Pansy's wand hand, and sent her wand flying. Pansy gasped and looked after it. Alana took this opportunity to make a dash for Pansy's wand. But, Pansy saw this and dove for her wand. She cursed as she fell a few yards short. As Alana made to pass her, Pansy grabbed onto her ankle, causing Alana to fall flat on her face. Pansy scrambled up to her feet and obtained her wand. Just as Alana was sitting up, rubbing her head, Pansy pointed her wand at her throat. Alana looked down at it in terror. She crawled back into a corner as Pansy proceeded forward. The Slytherin witch smirked maliciously in triumph as she dug the wand into the other girl's throat. Alana made a gagging noice when she did this.

" Like I said...this wouldn't take long at all and it didn't. What happened to you showing me those spells, Kaligaris?" Pansy taunted, gleefully. " All well, it doesn't matter now anyway. Just give up and surrender to me, Alana. You're as good as dead."

That's when Alana glared up at her defiantly and spit down on Pany's highly-polished, black boot.

" I would never surrender to the likes of you, Parkinson." She snarled, venomously. " I swear, someday you will get yours. I condemn you to the worst fate that could ever be imagined. A Dementor's kiss is what will await you if you kill me."

Pansy scowled; her rage rising to dangerous heights. She dug her wand even deeper into Alana's throat, almost cutting off her oxygen.

" We'll just see about that." Pansy hissed, quietly. " I have friends in high places."

" Heh, just keep telling yourself that, whore!" Alana laughed, mirthlessly.

" I've had enough of your insolence!" Pansy howled. " Avada..."

Suddenly, a jet of green knocked her wand out of her hand before she could finish her spell. Pansy looked at where it had fallen, dazed completely. Then, she and Alana directed their wide eyes towards the place where the other spell had come from. That's when they saw Draco standing in the doorway of his bathroom, dressed in his black bathrobe and wand at the ready. His hair was still plastered to his head, so soaked that it was still dripping with water. He must have heard the noise from the girls' duel and rushed out of the shower. Draco's eyes were narrowed savagely at Pansy, who looked a little worried by his presence.

" I can't even turn my back one second without you doing something completely stupid." He sneered, visciously, before looking down at Alana. " Are you okay?"

She nodded before getting to her feet and running to him. He embraced her firmly as if to never let her go.

" Okay, next time you're showering with me." He whispered with a chuckle.

" Whatever you say." She replied, burying her head into his chest. " I'm just glad you got here in time."

He kissed her head and hugged her back even tighter. Then, the sound of clapping reached their ears and shattered their moment. They looked up and realized it was Pansy who was clapping. She wore a smirk on her face; her eyes gleaming dangerously.

" How touching!" Pansy gushed, sarcastically. " The two lovers are re-united once again! Oh Draco, when will you learn?"

" This stops here, Pansy!" Draco shouted, angrily, pushing Alana behind him protectively. " You have gone too far this time!"

" This is only the beginning, my dear Draco!" Pansy announced, spreading her arms wide for emphasis. " You know as well as I do that you cannot be with her. You were promised to me, and I intend to keep it that way!"

" Draco, what is she talking about?" Alana asked, severely confused.

Draco sighed and turned his head slightly towards her.

" Before I was born, the Parkinsons and Malfoys made a deal. Their offspring would be betrothed if they were a boy and a girl; there for securing a pure bloodline, so they could become Death Eaters. I've always been against this, but it was forced upon me." Draco explained. " Until I met you, I just went along with it. But now, no one can make me marry Pansy. If I tie myself to anyone eternally, it will be you, Alana."

" Not if I can help it!" Pansy shouted, picking up her wand. " _Expelliarmus_!"

Draco's wand flew out of his hand, but Alana stepped forward with hers. Pansy just smirked and hissed, " What are you going to do to me, Lil Miss Perfect? You're no match for me! I've proved that time and time again. You're just prolonging your demise. Just face it, you're too much of a weakling to beat me, _Alana_."

Alana finally lost it, tired of listening to Pansy's tauntings, and bellowed, " _Crucio_!"

Pansy fell to the ground, writhing in pain. She jerked around in odd positions. Alana just kept adding more to it, making sure the slut suffered just as much as she herself had. Seeing her like this, brought a weird and malicous kind of joy to her heart. An evil grin twisted its way onto her lips. Draco noticed this and became disturbed by it. He had never seen this side of Alana before..._ever_. When the sounds of Pansy's wailings reached his ears, Draco ran up behind Alana and grabbed her wand hand, trying to yank it out of her grasp.

" Stop, Draco!" Alana protested. " I'm not finished with her yet!"

" Alana, think about what you're doing!" He objected, trying to reason with her.

" It's nothing she doesn't deserve!"

" I know!" Draco replied, looking pleadingly into her eyes. " But you can't sink to her level, just like you told me! If you really want her to suffer, let her live and see us together! That will harm her more than any spell ever will!"

Alana looked at him uncertainly for a second before lifting the curse. Pansy let out a gasp of air, lying on the ground in the fetal position. Slowly and painfully, she uncurled herself. Alana kept her wand at the ready, just to be sure she didn't try anything. When Pansy stumbled to her feet, she swayed dangerously, but managed to keep her balance. Then, she directed her cold eyes towards Alana and smirked.

" Bravo!" She praised, hoarsely. " Bravo indeed, Kaligaris! I never thought you'd have it in you to use an Unforgivable. I must say you have impressed me."

" Shut your mouth, Parkinson!" Alana snapped, feeling light-headed.

She could see why not many people dared to used Unforgivable Curses. They stripped you of your strength rapidly. Suddenly, Pansy summoned her wand into her hand and blasted back both Alana and Draco! Alana's wand went flying out of her hand and, Pansy caught it with ease. Damn, Alana should have seen that one coming! She mentally cursed herself for letting Pansy get ahead of her.

" _Incarcerous_!" Pansy shouted, pointing her wand at Draco.

Draco suddenly felt like he had invisible ropes tied around himself. He couldn't move at all with this full-body bide on him!

" _Incarcerous_!" Pansy yelled again, putting another body-binding spell on Alana.

The same thing happened to Alana, who winced at how tightly Pansy had it around her. Pansy slowly walked up to her to where her boots were right in front of Alana's face. She then, kneeled down to look her in the eye with a smirk.

" Leave her alone, Pansy!" Draco growled, angrily. " This is between you and me! Leave Alana out of this!"

" She has everything to do with this, Draco! She stole you away from me and now, she's going to pay for it with her life!" Pansy retorted, before going into a syrupy voice. " Oh, but don't worry. After I'm done with her, it's your turn. If I'm correct, it's been a few months since we've fucked. That should be punishment enough for you."

Draco glared at her darkly as she turned back to Alana. She clutched her chin with her long, blood red nails, digging them into her skin. Alana didn't privilege her with a wince. Pansy wasn't worthy to see her in pain.

" I said you were going to regret hurting me." Pansy purred with a sweet, yet sinister tone.

" I'm not afraid of you, Parkinson." Alana proclaimed, boldly, her eyes burning with confidence. " Nor am I afraid to die. I'm just ashamed that it has to be by the hand of a pathetic whore like you."

Pansy scowled hideously before shrieking out, " _Crucio_!"

Alana felt a searing pain explode in her chest. She thrashed around on the ground through her binds, but never uttered one scream. This seem to infuriate Pansy even more.

" Scream, bitch!" Pansy shouted at her, increasing the strength of the curse. " I know the pain is driving you mad! Scream God damnit!"

Alana just glared up at her defiantly, pursing her mouth closed tightly. Draco gazed at her in sheer panic. He could see the tears of pain pouring from her proud, sapphire eyes.

" Pansy, stop this!" He pleaded. " I'll do anything you ask, if you just release her!"

Pansy sent a reproachful look at him, showing that she wasn't going to stop no matter what he said before turning back to the girl still thrashing about on the floor.

" I'll make sure you die before this night is over!" Pansy swore in a rage filled voice. " I swear to God I'll kill you!"

Finally, she lifted the curse, watching Alana gasping in pain. Alana wanted so badly to sob at how much pain she felt at that moment, but she'd kill herself first before she let Pansy see her shed a single tear. Pansy smirked down at her before kneeling down in front of her and whipping out the dagger again. Draco's eyes widened when he saw it. He recognized that dagger! It used to belong to Salazar Slytherin a long time ago, and he knew only of one individual that possessed a relic like that, but Draco didn't want to believe it. How could he do something like this? How could he sink this low? Not even _he_ could be that heartless! He watched helplessly as Pansy placed the dagger at Alana's throat. Once again, she felt the cold, piercing blade against her tender flesh.

" Heh, never again will you kiss this neck, Drakie." Pansy told him, turning her maniacal gaze towards him. " Unless you aren't bothered with skin that's been drenched in blood."

Draco glared at her savagely; his eyes turning to pure, cold steel. Alana looked up at him from where she was lying on the floor only a few yards away from his feet. They made eye contact, and at the same time, tears trailed out of their eyes and down their pale faces.

" I love you." Alana mouthed with a weak smile.

" I love you, too." He mouthed back.

Pansy was too busy wallowing in her triumph that she didn't even notice the exchange. She merely pressed the blade even harder against Alana's neck, allowing a slight sliver to form in her skin. Alana froze as she felt a wet, sticky liquid run slowly down her neck.

" I should have just slit your throat the last time, but now I have my chance to finish what I'd started." Pansy hissed, smugly. " I guess this is farewell, Kaligaris. I must honestly say that I won't miss you. See you in Hell."

Alana closed her eyes and waited for her life to end. But before Pansy even had the chance to cut open her throat, the door to Draco's dorm burst open and someone yelled, " _Expelliarmus!_"

The dagger went flying out of Pansy's hand. Before anyone knew what happened, Pansy had been drug off of Alana and was being handled less than gently. Her screams could be heard in the backround, until something had silenced her. Alana lie completely still, too tramatized to move. That's when she felt two strong arms take her limp body securely into their grasp. Her body was brought closely to another's in a firm and desperate hold. It was only when she heard a familiar voice whispering endearments into her ear did she realize who was holding her. Alana clung to Draco as if afraid that if she let go of him someone would separate them permanently. Her body trembled with a bone-shattering shake. Jezebel and Ginny had long ago stunned Pansy and put a full-body bind on her. The two witches walked over to them and kneeled down beside the lovers.

" Oh Alana..." Jezebel trailed off looking down at her.

" Are you okay?" Ginny asked.

" I...I was s...so sure that sh...she was g...going to k...kill..."

" It's okay, Love, " Draco whispered in her ear softly, " Pansy will never harm you again. I'll make sure of that."

Alana nodded before burying her face in the crook of Draco neck and sobbing into it. Draco palmed the back of her head, bringing her even closer to him than she was already. Tears trailed out of his eyes slowly. He'd almost lost her yet again. How could he have let that happen? Draco had promised that he'd keep her safe, but because he'd let his guard down, Alana almost had been killed _again_. Finally, his attention was brought back to reality as Alana whimpered and choked out, " I could h...have died! Oh Draco...she...she could have k...killed me! She almost tore us apart...again!"

" Sssh...Alana," He murmured back, stroking her hair comfortingly, " I'm here now. That's all that matters. We're together, and it'll be over my dead body that I let someone take you from me. I swear that to you."

She nodded her head, but still clung to him desperately. Ginny rubbed her back in soothing motions. Jezebel glared down at Pansy's motionless form and asked, coldly, " What exactly happened, Draco, and how did Pansy get in here?"

" I'm not entirely sure. I was in the shower when she came in." Draco answered, looking up at Jezebel. " I heard a lot of commotion coming from my bedroom and rushed out of the shower, thinking that Alana had gotten hurt or something. That's when I caught Pansy with her wand at Alana's throat. I managed to blast it out of her hand, but before we knew what had happened, she'd gotten it back and put full-body binds on us. The rest you witnessed first hand. Pansy was trying to...to slit Alana's throat."

" We should just kill her now." Jezebel spat, seethingly, scrambling to her feet and pointing her wand at the unconscious witch.

" I agree." Ginny put in, glaring at Pansy visciously.

" No." Came Alana's muffled voice.

They all looked at her in shock. She'd been completely quiet until just then.

" But Alana..." Jezebel began.

" I said no!" Alana exclaimed, looking up at Jezebel with bloodshot eyes.

Jezebel shut her mouth immediately, not wanting to provoke Alana any further because of her current state of mind. Reluctantly, she lowered her wand.

" Sadly, I'm going to side with Alana on this one." Draco said with a sigh. " We can't kill her, not yet anyways. She needs to be interrogated, and the headmaster needs to hear about all the trouble she's caused."

Alana nodded in agreement before adding, solemnly, " I told Pansy that I condemned her to the worst fate that could ever be imagined. A Dementor's kiss will surely await her now. I plan to see to that through."

Jezebel looked at her friend worriedly for a second before pointing her wand at Pansy again and levetating her.

" We better get going to the headmaster's office right away. I already sent Cleo to tell him that we had a problem and would be there to see him shortly." She advised. " I'll send a Second year to fetch Snape as well. He'll need to be there with a vial of Veritaserum, just incase Pansy doesn't want to spill her secret."

Ginny got to her feet along with Draco, who helped Alana get up carefully. Her legs felt like limp noodles as she tried to walk. She just felt so weak and frail from everything that had happened in less than an hour. Draco directed her out of his dorm and down the stairs, keeping a secure arm wrapped firmly around her waist. On their way down, Draco changed out of his robe and into some clothes with a flick of his wand. When they came into the Common Room, the other Slytherins stared at them out of curiousity and confusion. Jezebel surveyed them critically before calling over a small, petite girl with a pale complexion and bleach blonde hair.

" Go to Professor Snape and tell him that his presence is required at the headmaster's office immediately." Jezebel instructed, sternly. " This is very urgent business. Oh, and make sure he has a vial of Veritaserum with him. If he asks any questions, tell him that Malfoy is involved. He'll come for sure then."

The girl nodded obediently and rushed out of the door. Draco smirked at Jezebel and voiced, " I forgot that you actually are quite smart when you want to be, Sinclaire."

" Well, what can I say?" She answered, returning the smirk. " I can't act like a dumb blonde all of the time like you."

Draco's smirk fell into a scowl, and Alana had to keep herself from laughing. Slowly, they made their way up to the headmaster's office from the dungeons. When they came to the statue, Cleo was pacing frantically in front of it. The instant she saw them, she hurried over, fussing over Alana worriedly.

" Oh my God, Alana, are you okay? Did you get hurt? What did that bitch do to you?" She went on a million miles per hour. " How did she get into Draco's dorm? Did you take her down or did Jez and Ginny save you guys?"

" Cleo...CLEO!" Alana shouted to get her to stop talking, grasping her shoulders with as much strength as she could muster, " I'm fine. Pansy didn't hurt me, except for the slight cut on my neck."

" To Hell with the cut, Alana!" Draco objected, snappishly. " She put the bloody Cruciatus curse on you! I'm just surprised that you can even stand, let alone walk."

" She did?" Cleo asked, frantically, going into another round of histerics. " Oh, Alana, you shouldn't be up and around!"

" I'm telling you...I'm fine." Alana assured her, exasperatedly. " I feel a little faint, but that's all. I'll be okay. Besides, you all need me to testify against what Pansy said she tried to do to me and everything."

They all nodded in understanding before Cleo told the statue the password, so they could go up the steps to the headmaster's office. After knocking on the door, they all stood completely silent, waiting for an answer.

" Come in." Someone finally called.

Cleo opened the door and allowed the others to go in first before walking in herself and closing the door. Professor Dumbledore sat behind his dark, wooden desk, looking over some documents. When he looked up, his brilliant blue eyes surveyed everyone in shock. It was the first time any of them had ever seen him unnerved. He took in Pansy's body being levitated by Jezebel and asked, sternly, " What on earth is going on here?"

" Sir, we caught Parkinson here trying to murder Alana." Jezebel replied in an urgent tone. " She had both her and Draco here in full-body binds and was torturing them. It was just by chance that Ginny and I came to look in on them when they were late for dinner."

Dumbledore turned increasingly pale and sat down in a dazed fashion. He gestured for Jezebel to set Pansy down in a nearby chair. She did so, but not before taking her wand away.

" Okay now...a little more clearly so I understand everything," Dumbledore spoke in a soft voice, " someone tell me what happened."

Before anyone could say a word, Snape barged into the room, looking even more peeved than usual. Dumbledore raised a gray, bushy eyebrow at him and asked, kindly, " Aw, Severus, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

Snape looked around at the students around him before his dark gaze was finally set on Jezebel, who had her arms crossed with a satisfied smirk.

" Miss Sinclaire said my presence was required here, Headmaster, and I was to bring a vial of Veritaserum with me." Snape sneered in annoyance. " I'm wondering why I was called here in the first place though. Would anyone like to elaborate for me?"

" Well, Professor," Jezebel began, calmly, " one of _your_ students tried to murder Miss Kaligaris and was torturing Malfoy. The student in question is Parkinson over there. Does that clarify things for you?"

He merely glared at the girl, but seemed satisfied enough. Dumbledore then, fixed his warm gaze on Alana, who had remained quiet this whole time, while encased securely in Draco's protective embrace.

" Miss Kaligaris, is what Miss Sinclaire said all true?" He asked, smiling at her assuringly.

Alana nodded her head slowly and said barely above a whisper, " Yes, it is all true. Pansy was trying to kill me."

Suddenly, a groan came from the accused. Pansy started to awake and was shifting uncomfortable in her binds. When she opened her eyes, they became full of fear and rage. Their flashing green depths darkened severely when they settled on Alana.

" What in the bloody hell is going on here?" She screeched, angrily, thrashing around on the chair. " What am I doing here? Let me out of these binds! I demand to be released at once!"

Alana flinched, shying away from Pansy and burying herself even more into Draco's hold, who tightened his grip on her.

" Calm down, Miss Parkinson." Dumbledore advised her, patiently. " You're being restrained for your own good."

" Oh, shut that annoying hole you call a mouth, old man!" Pansy spat, seethingly. " I will not _calm down_ until someone lifts this fucking spell off of me!"

" Okay then, " He muttered under his breath, " then, you can tell us whether you tried to kill Miss Kaligaris here or not."

Pansy looked back at Alana and glared at her visiously. An evil smirk twisted upon her lips as she sneered, " I don't have the slightest idea as to what you are talking about, Headmaster."

" Why you little whore, " Draco snarled, darkly, as Alana restrained him from throttling Pansy, " how dare you lie right in my face! You know you tied to kill Alana, Parkinson! I heard you swear that you would! I watched as you placed that blade right at Alana's throat!"

" Oh Draco, why must you lie to these good people?" She purred in a syrupy voice with a sinister gleam in her eye.

" I swear, Headmaster, " Draco told him, almost pleading with Dumbledore to believe him, " she's lying! She tied to kill my Alana!"

Dumbledore nodded with an understanding smile before gesturing towards Snape. The Potions teacher understood and pulled out a vial that contained a greenish-brown liquid from within his black robes. Pansy's face paled when she set her gaze upon the vial. Then, she glared at Alana and Draco, who both glared right back at her. Snape approached Pansy as she started to struggle against her binds again. He pulled her head back by the hair to make her be still and he poured the potion down her throat. Pansy's face soured as she licked her lips to wash away any remains of the potion. Then, Snape stepped back beside Dumbledore as the headmaster stood up as well.

" What's your name?" Dumbledore asked, sternly.

" Pansy Lynnel Parkinson." Pansy mumbled, darkly.

" Do you know why you have been brought here?"

" Because these bitches say that I was trying to murder Alana Kaligaris."

" Did you do what they claim you did?"

Pansy pursed her lips and sent him a venomous look. Dumbledore tried to remain calm as he asked, " Did you do what they claim you did, Miss Parkinson?"

Again she stayed silent. Everyone could tell that it was causing her great discomfort not to answer his questions, but she remained as stubborn as ever.

" Miss Parkinson, answer me!"

" Yes, okay!" Pansy exclaimed, exasperatedly, pouring out her deadly secret. " Yes, I did it! I tried to kill her! I tried to slit her throat! Let the whole world know that I tried to kill _Alana_ Rosaline Kaligaris! I'm not sorry in the least! I feel no remoarse whatsoever for what I did! If given the chance, I wouldn't hesitate to do it all over again!"

Everyone was dead silent after her outburst. Nothing disturbed the quiet air that had settled around them. Pansy lay on the chair, panting heavily with a pleased smirk playing upon her lips. Dumbledore had paled tremendously along with Professor Snape, who stared at her incredulously. He just couldn't believe this.

" But...why, Miss Parkinson?" Snape whispered, shaking his head. " Why?"

" Oh, don't play dumb, Severus!" Pansy snapped. " You know that the Dark Lord wasn't pleased when he learned that Malfoy was going against his wishes by seeing Kaligaris. He was going against the plans that had been set for him since before his birth. The Dark Lord hates it when his followers disobey him. Let's just say that he gave me insentive to kill her. He even had one of the senior Death Eaters give me his special dagger to do the job of making sure that she was disposed of."

Draco tensed at this information. His suspicions were correct about the dagger. When he saw him next, the person who kept Voldemort's dagger was going to pay; he promised himself that. No one was going to plot to kill his Alana and get away with it.

" Was this the first time you attempted to take Miss Kaligaris' life?" Dumbledore asked, hoarsely.

" No, about a month ago I tried to kill her in the Prefect girls' bathroom. I would have suceeded then, but Granger and Weasleyette found her before she had bled to death. When I heard she had gone into a coma, I thought she would never wake up and tell who her attacker was. I was afraid for a short time when she actually did wake up, but then, I heard that she had no memory of what happened that night. It was then that I swore I'd finish the job. All I had to do was wait for the opportune moment." Pansy explained with pride.

Everyone had paled exceedingly. Ginny and Jezebel looked as if they were going to be sick because of how much joy it brought Pansy to tell them this. But, it was Draco who was the most disgusted with the Slytherin whore. He didn't think she had been capable of such things, but he then realized just how wrong he had been about her being harmless.

" I can't believe you, Parkinson." He said in a deadly quiet tone, shaking his head at her smirking face. " You were the one who left Alana in that bathroom to die? How could you do it? How can you live with yourself?"

She let out another one of her dry, mirthless laughs. Everyone cringed at the evilness of it. When she stopped, Pansy just smirked back at him and replied, " I would do anything and everything to make sure you were mine for all eternity, Draco. I have been hopelessly in love with you since the moment I set eyes upon you. That will never change. I wasn't about to let some loathsome, Ravenclaw bitch steal you away from me. This was personal. And you know what? I'd do it all over again if I could."

Dumbledore looked at her with a horrified expression. It was as if he couldn't believe that such a phycopathic girl had been living in his school all these years.

" You're sick, Pansy!" Jezebel spat at her. " Real sick!"

" Thank you, Sinclaire. That means a lot coming from someone as lowly as you." Pansy hissed back malicously. " I'd just watch your back if I were you. You and Zabini are both no longer trusted in _our_ circle. You're on the extent of being dubbed as blood traitors like the Weasleys."

" You're empty threats don't scare me." Jezebel told her, shaking her head in disbelief.

" We'll see how empty my threats are in due time." The slut replied.

Then, Dumbledore turned to Snape and asked, " What should we do with her, Severus?"

" She is clearly a danger to the school and the entire Wizarding World, Headmaster." Snape told him, emotionlessly, before turning to fix his eyes on Pansy. " She belongs in Azkaban with the rest of the Death Eaters that we've managed to capture. Perhaps there...she'll be of no threat to anybody, but herself."

Pansy's face drained of all color when the name "Azkaban" was mentioned. She began to thrash around in her binds again.

" No!" She wailed like an injured animal. " No, you can not send me there! You can't! I refuse to go!"

" I'm afraid, Miss Parkinson, that you are past that point." Dumbledore told her, solemnly. " I cannot let you go free just so you can do more damage than you've already done. I'll send for the Dementors to pick you up in Hogsmeade. Severus, you'll be incharge of guarding her until they arrive."

" Yes, Headmaster." Snape answered, obediently, waking over to Pansy with his wand raised at her.

She fixed her glare directly on him and scowled venomously at him.

" How could you do this to me, Severus? Wait until the Dark Lord hears about this! Betraying one of your own? It is like betraying the Drak Lord himself!" She shouted at him before turning to the others. " He's a traitor to us all. Do you honestly think he's on your side? He's a fake! A fake I tell you!"

" We're far beyond all of that." Snape told her, sternly. " The Dark Lord is not my master and therefore cannot control me. Actually, he can kiss my ass for all I care. Let him rot in Hell with all rest of you scum."

Pansy let out another enraged howl as he levitated back up into the air. She thrashed about as much as she could. Her eyes rolled around in her head maniacally before they became set on Draco. He and Alana both looked at her with pure loathing and despise.

" Draco, mercy! I beg you to show me mercy!" She pleaded, helplessly. " I love you! Draco, I _love_ you!"

" Pansy, after what you have done, I am far beyond the point of forgiveness." He told her in the coldest tone anyone had ever used. " Your love means nothing to me; never has and never will. Now that I have my true love by my side, nothing will ever replace her. Besides, you know I'm not the type of person that forgives easily."

She scowled at him viscously and shouted, seethingly, " Then, it's revenge upon you both! I'll get my revenge. You'll see! My word shouldn't be taken lightly. I'll kill your little whore and you will be my husband until death due us part. Just you wait, Draco Malfoy! Just you wait!"

Her rantings became more distant as Snape took her out of the room and down the corridor. A moment later they all heard him put a stunning spell on her to silence the wretch. Alana buried her face back into Draco's chest and started to sob again. He held her close in a reassuringly firm grip. He whispered endearments and promises into her ear softly. Tears were appearing in his own eyes as he did this.

" Ssh...it'll be alright, Alana. Please, don't cry, my love. Remember...it wounds me deeply when you do." He murmured, quietly only for her to hear. " I'll protect you always. I'd risk my very life just to keep you out of harms way. She'll never kill you. It'll be over my dead body when she does."

She nodded her head as she continued to cry. Dumbledore's mood was lifted as he watched the lovers. Even in the presence of evil, love still triumphed, and Draco and Alana were a perfect example of that. He cleared his throat to be heard and everyone gave him their undivided attention.

" I want to thank you all for you're support towards Miss Kaligaris and Mr. Malfoy here. I'm sure they deeply appreciate it. Also, I want to praise you on your bravery. Half the things that were said in this room, I couldn't believe myself. I'm sure you all have learned greatly from this. Now, I give you leave to return to your dorms." Dumbledore explained to them with a weak smile. " You all look like you need a good nights rest. Let's put all this tragidy behind us and look forward to the brightness of your futures."

The group mumbled a thanks to the headmaster before leaving his office silently. When the gargoyle closed behind them, they all embraced each other lovingly before parting to go to their own Common Rooms. Jezebel said that she'd just room with Ginny for the night, which meant she was actually giving Draco and Alana time alone together. This they both seemed to appreciate. As the two made their way back down to the dungeons, Draco surveyed the look on Alana's face intently. It was surprisingly calm and serene. She hadn't looked like this since the very beginning of their relationship. The air about her was comforting and pleasant. She noticed after awhile that he was staring at her with a thoughtful look on his face.

" What is troubling you, Draco?" Alana asked him.

" Nothing. You just look so...care-free." He explained, carefully. " You haven't looked like that in the longest time. I must admit...it's quite refreshing. Why the sudden change? A second ago, you were petrified to wits end."

Alana smiled wistfully before saying, " It's just what Dumbledore said. We need to put all the bad things that have happened to us this year behind us and enjoy the things that are happening now while also, looking ahead at our future. It just made me realize how lucky I am to have all my friends and family. With out them and especially you, I wouldn't be the person that I am today. It just seemed to clear my head of all my cares and worries."

" I'm glad." Draco replied with a warm smile, bringing her to a stop and taking both of her hands into his. " I'm always happy when you're happy, and this just makes my happiness soar to unexplainable heights."

" I'm thrilled to hear it." Alana told him, leaning into his body and standing on her toes to kiss him.

Draco smiled and closed the distance between their lips. Everything suddenly went right with that one, simple kiss. The plots against them and Pansy's threats were tossed away and forgotten completely. This brought back the pricelessness of their first kiss, renewing it in a way that both of them had thought impossible. The lovers were just focused on one thing and one thing only...each other. When the sweet connection was broken, they smiled at each other with all the warmth and love they could ever possess.

" Never leave me." Alana whispered to him, desperately, closing her eyes for another sweet kiss.

" Would never dream of it." Draco answered, his hand coming up to palm the back of her neck and swooping back down to claim her lips with his again.

**A/N: Have I ever stated how much I hate Pansy? Well, now you know. I have only one more chapter for you guys. Review.**


	19. Only the Beginning

**A/N: Well, my friends this is it...the last chapter. I can't believe it's finally done. I started this novel last fall. If I had waited a little longer, it would have been a full year. This was an iffy chapter to write. I wanted to put so much in it and I hope I captured all the things I should have. Well, I bet you're all anxious to read, so I won't keep you any longer. Do what you readers do best.**

Chapter 19

Only the Beginning

For all those times you stood by me

For all the truth you made me see

For all the joy you brought to my life

For all the wrong that you made right

For every dream you made come true

For all the love I found in you

I'll be forever thankfully, Baby

You're the one who helped me up

Never let me fall

You're the one who saw me through

Through it all

You were my strength when I was weak

You were my voice when I couldn't speak

You were my eyes when I couldn't see

You saw the best there was in me

You lifted me up when I couldn't reach

You gave me faith that you believed

I am everything I am

Because you loved me-

" Because You Loved Me"

Celine Dion

The long awaited and much anticipated day had finally arrived. Everyone was rushing around the castle, making last minute adjustments to the Great Hall and to their appearances for the ball. In Alana's dorm, things were just as hectic. Every one of the girls were rushing about in their gowns, applying make-up, putting on jewelry or something of the like. Alana had locked herself in the bathroom fifteen minutes ago with her things, and Jezebel was standing at the door in her highly revealing gown, tapping her foot anxiously. She simply refused to come out of the room now. Jezebel knew the only reason for this was because Alana was nervous for no apparent reason; just Alana being Alana. Unable to take it anymore, she rapped furiously on the door and yelled, " Alana, come on! Come out of there! I'm sure you look gorgeous as always!"

" Oh Jezebel," Alana's panicked voice wailed from behind the door, " what if we were wrong about the dress? What if it isn't _the_ one? What if Draco hates it? What if..."

" Alana Kaligaris, you did not spend more time than anyone else in this dorm making sure that you had absolutely everything ready for tonight and obsessing over this ball all for nothing!" Jezebel scolded her, exasperatedly. " You _will_ look more fabulous than anyone else going to this ball, and Draco would be a fool not to think the same! Now, get your ass out of that bathroom before I blast this door down and drag you out myself!"

Thanks to her encouragements...and threats, the door opened hesitantly, and Alana stepped into the room ever so cautiously. Everyone else stopped what they were doing immediately to gawk at the sight. Even _Jezebel_ was left speechless! Alana stood in a slim-fitting gown made of aqua blue chiffon. The gown was held up by two straps about two-finger width wide, each with a silver jeweled-circle on it. Its neckline was a wide v-dip that showed a small portion of the valley in between her breasts. Below the neckline and around her slim waist, a thick ban of silver beads was embellished on the material of her dress that flashed and gleamed brilliantly in the light. Her skirt brushed the ground and trailed out a little behind her when she walked.

Her hair had been straightened into shiny sheets of mahogany-colored tresses. The hair up front had been swept the to right with a silver and aqua blue, jeweled clip keeping part of it back; leaving a part on the far, left side of her scalp. Alana's ends had been straightened to where they framed the shape of her face. Her eyelids had been painted in several layers of silver eye shadow with just a tint of blue. Then, they were lined with a dark brown liner that almost looked black before a slight coating of black mascara had been applied to her long lashes. Just a hint of rose-colored blush tinted her tan cheeks, and reddish-brown lipstick had been administered to her lips. Alana wore a long pair of delicate, crystal blue and silver, chandelier earrings that barely brushed her shoulders. A silver choker with a single, pear-shaped blue crystal adorned her slender neck. Secured around her wrist was a silver and crystal blue, clear-beaded armband.

Her promise ring glinted attractively from her left hand-middle finger. Her silver heels had diamond gems cascading down her foot and latched securely to her ankle. Alana was really a spectacle in all her finery. The girls couldn't believe the transformation she had made from her normal self into this stunning, sophisticated beauty. She clasped her hands behind her back and blushed slightly at the looks the girls were giving her. Jezebel had one hand over her mouth and the other wrapped around her waist, looking as if she was trying to keep back her tears.

" Is it too much?" Alana asked, tentatively.

" Are you kidding?" Hannah exclaimed. " You look perfect!"

" Alana, you're going to blow them all away!" Ginny added with all certainty.

" Are you sure about that?" Alana inquired with a weak smile.

" Alana," Jezebel said, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder, " you're going to shine tonight, brighter than any other girl in the room. You look ravishing, and I think Draco's going to have a hard time controlling himself around you tonight."

Alana offered a giggle at that before nodding her head and saying, confidently, " I can do this. Thanks, guys, I appreciate this."

" No problem!" They chorused and then, Jezebel added, " You better get going. I'm sure "Prince Charming" is wondering where his princess is."

Alana nodded and went over to her vanity for a quick second, only to spray a tiny bit of perfume on before waving goodbye to the girls. They assured her that they'd be down soon. She flew out of Ravenclaw Tower and down towards the Great Hall. It was almost as if she couldn't get there fast enough; that her long legs were moving in slow motion. When she finally came to landing of the main staircase, Alana leaned against a wall and took a deep breath, making sure no one in the Great Hall or Entrance Hall could see her.

" _I can do this! I can do this!_" Alana told herself, taking in another deep breath. " _I'm gorgeous; I'm ravishing! There is nothing to be scared of!_"

She took one peak from behind the corner and saw all of the couples gathering around the entrance to the Great Hall. There were so many of them that it was almost over-whelming. Alana flattened herself back behind the corner and shut her eyes tight.

" _Who am I kidding? I can't do this!_" She thought, despairingly. " _With my luck I'll probably trip on the steps or spill something on my dress." _

But the more she obsessed over this in her mind, the more ridiculous the more rational side of herself realized she was being.

_" Oh, come on! I'm obsessing over nothing! It's not a big deal. So what if I trip? So what if I spill something? I'm Alana Kaligaris and I can do this. Besides, Draco's waiting for me."_

That alone was enough to convince her that she couldn't wait any longer. With that, Alana pulled herself up to her full height and came out from behind the wall. She took hold of the side of her dress, making sure she wouldn't step on her hem, as she gracefully descended the stairs. That's when, Alana's eyes caught sight of Draco. He was standing with his back to the stairs with his hands clasped behind his back; an air of self-confidence about him. His body was relaxed and calm as he waited there patiently for her. Then, after hearing the sound of heels clacking on stone, Draco turned around, and his calm expression turned to one of awe. His hands became unclasped as one came up to his slicked-back hair, checking it self-consciously. Alana couldn't help, but giggle at his expression. At the same time, his appearance had made her unable to breathe as well. Draco was dressed in expensive-looking, emerald green, dress robes with a black silk inner-lining. His dress pants were black as well as his dress shirt that peeked through the clasps of his robes.

These colors brought out his platinum hair and stormy gray eyes. Alana had never seen Draco look more handsome than at that very moment. As he waited for her to come down the last set of steps, Draco couldn't help but marvel at her entire being. The colors, the jewelry, everything! It was just perfect. Alana had been transformed into the angel that she truly was. He couldn't believe that this radiant woman was his Alana; the one that only a few weeks ago had been an empty shell of a girl. She blew his mind off to some distant place and had taken away his breath the instant he had seen her. Not only was she bloody gorgeous, Draco thought she looked completely sexy as well. The way the dress hugged her body in all the right places and how her cleavage was sneakily on show was making it hard for him to resist the urge to tear her clothes off. In all, she looked simply incredible; a real feast for the eyes.

When she finally descended, Alana walked up to him, smiling kind of shyly. Draco could not wipe the awed expression from his face, no matter how hard he tried. When he opened his mouth to try to say something nothing came out. Alana had a hard time containing her amusement as he struggled to make sound come up from his throat.

" I...I...uh...Wow!" Draco stammered, running a hand over his gelled-back hair again. " Alana...you look...I can't even describe it. You look so...so...radiantly beautiful."

" Thank you, Draco." Alana said barely above a whisper as a faint blush crept onto her cheeks. " You don't look half bad yourself."

Draco smirked and quickly glanced down at his apparel before looking back up at her with smoldering eyes. The gaze made Alana want to swoon. How could one look make him even more devilishly handsome and dangerously intoxicating than he already was?

" Not half bad, huh?" He asked with an impish grin, sauntering even closer to her than he already was.

Alana felt her heartbeat soaring to unimaginable heights as Draco snaked his arms around her waist and pulled her firmly against him. Her hands instinctively went up to grasp his shoulders; one sneaking around to the back of his neck. She gazed back into his alluring, stormy eyes with her own darkening sapphire ones.

" No, not at all." She exhaled, feeling herself become breathless as she felt his warm breath upon her waiting lips.

" Hey, you two," A voice rang out from the staircase, " this is a public gathering! We don't need you both ruining the night for the rest of us!"

" Yeah, if you must do whatever it is you two do, go somewhere else!" Another voice chimed in. " We don't want to see it!"

Draco growled in annoyance as he and Alana looked up at the stairs; their wonderful moment shattered. Jezebel and Blaise were making their way down the stairs; arms linked and steps in perfect sync. Draco raised an eyebrow at Jezebel's "unusual" dress, which Alana caught and couldn't help but giggle. Her black hair had been done up partially in a loose updo with little, gemmed-flower clips scattered around up top. The long, green, chandelier earrings and matching, cascading necklace she wore sparkled in the dim candle light. Blaise too was dressed finely in deep maroon dress robes; his black fuzzy hair slicked back as much as it could be, considering it was shaven close to his head. They smirked down at the two as they descended the last two steps. Draco and Alana offered two of their own.

" You two should have seen the look on your faces." Jezebel told them, amusement flashing in her brown eyes. " It was truly priceless."

" You're lucky that there are witnesses here, Sinclaire, or I might have had no other choice than to kill you." Draco replied, smoothly.

Jezebel laughed, untangling her arm from Blaise's and coming over to pinch Draco's cheeks.

" Oh come on, Drakie Poo," She cooed in a babyish tone, " you know that it was funny."

" Let...go...of...my..._face_!" He growled, darkly.

Both Alana and Blaise burst into gales of laughter, while Jezebel gave him a pretend hurt look.

" Fine, be that way, Draco Malfoy!" She yelled through her own laughter, turning her back on him indignantly and crossing her arms.

Alana thought her eye make-up was going to start running she was laughing so hard. Finally, Jezebel turned around and gave Draco a genuine smile, hugging him warmly. Draco returned it with a chuckle; one hand still clasping Alana's. When they parted, Blaise came over and clasped hands with him before they shook them, exchanging a few words on how each other looked. Then, Blaise went over to Alana, who hugged him awkwardly; used to just shaking his hand.

" Awe, come on, Kaligaris!" He complained as he let her go. " Is that the best you got?"

" Why did you want me to collapse your lungs or something?" Alana asked innocently.

The four laughed again, and before long, the others showed up as well. Each of the boys was dressed up in dashing dress robes, even Ron who had replaced his lacy, frilly robe from Fourth year. They made their way into the Great Hall, which had been decorated spectacularly. Small, circular tables with fresh, white table cloths were set up along the edges of a large, dance floor. Candles and rose petals sat in the middle of these tables for added flare. Different colored lanterns hung suspended in the air, giving the hall a dim-lighted look. There was a long, refreshments table set up against one of walls, holding everything from punch to cake. A D.J. was setting up his equipment on a small stage in front of the Staff Table, where most of the teachers were sitting, observing the activity contently. Coincidentally, it was the same D.J. that played at the secret parties up in the Room of Requirements.

After sitting down at a table that would hold their entire group, the gang chatted excitedly, waiting for the rest of the students to enter the Great Hall. When almost all of the tables were full, and the D.J. was all ready to go, Professor Dumbledore stood up from his place at the Staff Table and held up his hands, calling for silence.

" Welcome, students. Tonight we are here to celebrate the end of yet another year here at Hogwarts. For those of you who will be leaving these halls permanently to start new lives and careers, I wish you the best of luck. I know this year has been stressful to some more than most," Dumbledore carried on amiably, his eyes resting on one table in particular, " but we must not dwell on the bad times. Instead we must appreciate tonight and all of the good times ahead of us. Now, may I ask you to raise your glasses and join me in a toast."

Everyone picked up the crystal, water glasses in front of them and raised them in the air. Dumbledore smiled warmly out to them all; his brilliant blue eyes twinkling with merriment.

" To loyal friends and bright futures, may you all be blessed with each." He announced.

" To friends and the future!" The entire Great Hall chorused.

" Now, may the ball begin!"

The D.J. put in the first disc for music, and the whole hall filled with sound. Students started bopping their heads to the lively, jumpy music. Couples and groups alike got up from their tables to dance. Draco looked at Alana; an eyebrow rose in a silent suggestion. She nodded in approval and gave Draco her hand. They too walked out onto the dance floor and let their bodies sway in time to the music.

_I still hear you voice, when you sleep next to me_

_I still feel you touch in my dreams_

_Forgive me my weakness, but I don't know why_

_Without you it's hard to survive_

_'Cause everytime we touch, I get this feeling_

_And everytime we kiss I swear I could fly.  
_

_Can't you feel my heart beat fast, I want this to last._

_Need you by my side.  
_

_'Cause everytime we touch, I feel this static.  
_

_And everytime we kiss, I reach for the sky.  
_

_Can't you hear my heart beat so...  
_

_I can't let you go.  
_

_Want you in my life._

By this time, the whole group was dancing together. The instrumental was causing people to jump up in down, even some girls in heels joined in. Draco kept his hands firmly planted on Alana's hips, pulling her back up against his chest as they moved with one another; their bodies gliding together passionately even with the fast pace. Alana brought an arm back to wrap around Draco's neck; her eyes looking over her shoulder into his. Their gaze remained locked intently, both unable to look away.

_Your arms are my castle; your heart is my sky.  
_

_They wipe away tears that I cry.  
_

_The good and the bad times, we've been through them all.  
_

_You make me rise when I fall.  
_

_'Cause everytime we touch, I get this feeling.  
_

_And everytime we kiss I swear I could fly.  
_

_Can't you feel my heart beat fast, I want this to last.  
_

_Need you by my side.  
_

_'Cause everytime we touch, I feel this static.  
_

_And everytime we kiss, I reach for the sky.  
_

_Can't you hear my heart beat so...  
_

_I can't let you go.  
_

_Want you in my life._

" I think I have a new appreciation for Muggle music now." Draco yelled over the music.

" Really?" Alana asked with a smirk. " Do you mind explaining why?"

" Maybe this will explain for me." He whispered into her ear before claiming her lips with his own.

Alana returned his kiss eagerly, not paying any attention to the cat calls and whistles that they were receiving. They still continued to sway to the beat around them, not even being slightly distracted by their kiss.

_'Cause everytime we touch, I get this feeling.  
_

_And everytime we kiss I swear I could fly.  
_

_Can't you feel my heart beat fast, I want this to last.  
_

_Need you by my side._

The music was then cut off, and the crowd applauded. For the next two hours the gang danced or sat at their table, talking and munching on refreshments. Alana and Draco had never been happier as they were that evening. The whole school was back to normal now that the two were back to their usual affectionate selves. Jezebel watched the two fondly as Alana tried to kiss off the cake frosting she had "accidentally" smeared all over Draco's mouth. Suddenly, an idea popped up into her head. She immediately got up from her seat; her chair making a screeching sound on the hard wooden floor, and causing the rest of the group to look at her.

" Jez, what are you doing?" Blaise asked, taking a hold of her hand and looking at her worriedly. " Is something wrong?"

" No, nothing's wrong." She answered, innocently. " I'll be right back. There's something I have to do."

With that, she made her way up towards the D.J.'s station. Jezebel made her way up the stairs towards him, being careful not to step on the skirt of her dress. She then, started to whisper something in the D.J. ear, to which he smiled, and nodded handing over a microphone to her. He cut off the music and gave Jezebel the floor to speak.

" Attention," Jezebel called out, people suddenly going quiet to listen to the Slytherin girl, " I know you all want to dance the night away, but I'm just asking for a brief moment of your time. You all know Miss Alana Rosaline Kaligaris by now I'm sure." She gestured to Alana, who was now sitting as still as a statue in her seat as people turned to stare at her. " You all must have heard of the terrible tragedies that befell her this year as well. Even after all of those tragedies, she is still here, sitting as beautiful and strong-willed as ever. Alana has been an inspiration to many, gracing many lives with her presence. It is this woman that I would kind request to raise her beautiful voice to the Heavens and sing for us. Trust me once you hear her sing this song, you will understand all she has gone through. Well, come on up here, Alana!"

Alana started shaking her head and protesting as her friends started to drag her up from her seat. She struggled as best she could, squirming and thrashing in their grasps. Finally, it took Draco's assistance to get her up to the stage. Jezebel took her hand and led her up the steps and onto center stage, hanging her the mic.

" Jezebel, what are you up to?" Alana asked, looking at her questioningly.

" Nothing, I just want you to remember this night for a long time." Jezebel explained with a smile.

" But Jez, I don't even know what I'm singing." Alana replied with a laugh.

" You'll know soon enough." With that, Jezebel bounded down the steps and into the crowd, leaving Alana to stand alone in the middle of the stage.

The D.J. placed in another disc before nodding to Alana. A familiar piano and violin duet filled the air, and Alana smiled to herself. She did recognize the song.

" _Perfect._" She thought.

_Wake up to a sunny day, not a cloud up in the sky  
Then it starts to rain, my defenses hit the ground  
And they shatter all around, so open and exposed  
I found strength in the struggle  
Face to face with my trouble  
When you're broken in a million little pieces  
And you're trying but you can't hold on anymore  
Every tear falls down for a reason  
Don't you stop believing in yourself  
When you're broken_

Her friends smiled up at her, swaying to the gentle rhythm of the melody. Whistles and howls of approval greeted her ears and encouraged her on.

_Little girl don't be so blue  
I know what you're going through  
Don't let it beat you up  
Heaven knows that getting scars  
Only makes you who you are  
Only makes you who you are  
No matter how much your heart is aching  
There is beauty in the breaking  
Yeah  
When you're broken in a million little pieces  
And you're trying but you can't hold on anymore  
Every tear falls down for a reason  
Don't you stop believing in yourself  
When you're broken_

Alana began to see tears in some people's eyes, but none more so than Draco. He got what this song was about. It was about her; her heart break; her struggles; but also her recovery. He smiled up at her, mouthing the words " I love you" to her tenderly. She mouthed them back before letting her voice ring out once more.

_Better days are gonna find you once again  
Every piece will find its place  
When you're broken, when you're broken  
When you're broken in a million little pieces  
And you're trying but you can't hold on anymore  
Every tear falls down for a reason  
Don't you stop believing in yourself  
When you're broken  
Oh, when you're broken  
When you're broken  
When you're broken _

A huge applause went up as she finished her song. Alana smiled and bowed her head slightly in acknowledgement. She blew kisses and waved shyly to the crowd before giving her mic back to the D.J., who congratulated her too. As she made her way down the stairs, Draco rushed over to meet her. Before she had even descended to the last step, he swooped her up into his arms and spun her around, kissing her affectionately. Another roar of approval went up for the couple. When he set her back down, Draco gave her one more lingering kiss and said, " You were wonderful, Love!"

" Thank you, Draco." Alana replied, blushing slightly. " I was so nervous."

" The way you sang with such confidence and enthusiasm, no one would have ever been able to tell." He praised her, leaning down to claim her lips one more time.

Jezebel waved a hand to the D.J., and with a nod of understanding, he put on another slow song. Guys started to lead their dates out onto the dance floor, taking them into their arms to share a dance. Draco broke off his kiss with Alana, only to take a step back and bow deeply to her, extending a hand towards her as an invitation.

" Would you honor me with this dance, my Alana?" He asked, gentlemanly.

" Of course, Oh Prince of my heart." Alana answered, sweeping into a curtsy and accepting his hand.

Draco led her out onto the dance floor, twirling her once before bringing her smothering close to him. One hand held hers, while the other one snaked its way around her waist. Alana placed a delicate hand on his shoulder, gazing up into his stormy eyes with such love that it made Draco wonder if this was all truly real.

_We'll do it all  
Everything  
On our own _

_We don't need  
Anything  
Or anyone_

_If I lay here  
If I just lay here  
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?_

The two danced with such grace and elegance that other couples stopped to watch. It was as if they were the only two people in the entire world. Their smiles showed everything they felt for each other; all the love, loyalty, passion, and friendship that kept their relationship together.

_I don't quite know  
How to say  
How I feel _

_Those three words  
Are said too much  
They're not enough _

Alana laid her head on Draco's chest, listening to the soothing sound of his heartbeat. Draco buried his nose in her fragrant hair, inhaling the sweet smell of lavender. Oh how he loved this woman. He would have given anything to just freeze time, so this moment would never end. All he ever wanted was to hold Alana in his arms forever and never let her go.

I need your grace  
To remind me  
To find my own

If I lay here  
If I just lay here  
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Forget what we're told  
Before we get too old  
Show me a garden that's bursting into life

All that I am  
All that I ever was  
Is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see

I don't know where  
Confused about how as well  
Just know that these things will never change for us at all

If I lay here  
If I just lay here  
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

As the song ended, more clapping and whistling sounded throughout the hall. Only two people were oblivious to all of this. Alana and Draco stood as still as stone, embracing each other warmly. When they did pull away, their eyes met immediately, never to break contact. Draco's hand came up to palm the back of Alana's neck, holding her as close as he could without smothering her.

" What did I ever do to deserve someone as beautiful and perfect as you, Alana?" He whispered with such emotion in his voice.

" I don't know. I ask myself that same question every morning when I think about you." Alana answered, quietly, nestling her head back up against his warm chest.

" I never want you to leave me." Draco told her, sorrowfully. " I don't want to say goodbye tomorrow."

" I'll owl you everyday as much as I can. It won't be long, you'll see." Alana assured him. " Before you know it, we'll be on our way back to Hogwarts for our last and final year. Then, who knows what the world will set before us."

" Always the optomistic one, aren't you?" Draco chuckled, softly.

" Well, someone has to be in this relationship." Alana retorted, smirking up at him. Draco returned it before kissing each side of her mouth.

When he pulled away, Draco noticed tears in her eyes. He pulled her closer to comfort her from whatever had upset her.

" I can't believe that this is the end. This year went by so fast. I...I don't want it to be over. I...I don't want to forget all that happened, especially between us." Alana murmured, trying to keep her voice from wavering.

" Oh Alana," Draco whispered, holding her out in front of him, " don't you see? This is only the beginning for us. Things can only get better from here."

He then, took hold of the hand in which her promise ring was on. Even in the dim light of the Great Hall, the sapphire and diamond stones gleamed brilliantly from her hand.

" Remember what this stands for?" He asked her with a smile. " This is my promise to you that our love will never fail; that one day I _will_ make you my wife and we _will_ spend the rest of our lives together. I _will_ keep that promise to you, Alana. Nothing will keep me from it; not Pansy, not my father, not even Voldemort, no one. I will always be here to protect you. Nothing will ever hurt you again. I swear on my life, I'll keep you safe."

" I love you, Draco," Alana proclaimed, passionately, embracing Draco to herself, " so much."

" I love you, too, Alana." He replied, crushing her body into his. " More than anyone ever could."

" This will not be our end." She stated, looking up at him with shining, sapphire eyes.

" No, this will not be our end." He agreed. " Our end will be when the world stops turning and time itself stands still."

Then, Draco's lips closed on hers just as fireworks started to burst from outside the windows of the Great Hall. As everyone else admired the brilliant, sparkling colors, Alana and Draco allowed themselves to become absorbed in each other with hopes and dreams of their perfect future together dancing through their heads. For the first time that year, the two lovers knew what complete and utter happiness was truly like.

**The End**

**A/N: I hope you all liked the ending. I know it's sad that it's over, but I do have something to tell you guys that will brighten your spirits. I am making a sequel called " Fly Away Summer ". I won't let anything out, so you'll just have to read it. Well, goodbye for now my friends. Review and tell me how you all liked it.**


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